


I Love You is Back

by Zucheenee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, F/F, F/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, dramione is the main pairing and luna/ginny & pansy/ron are bg relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-02-22 01:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 52,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2489021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zucheenee/pseuds/Zucheenee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You can either become your father or forge your own path.</p><p>This was the final ultimatum Draco gave himself. It was clear to him now after a week of consideration that his path had been spelled out for him as soon as Lucius broached the subject of Draco taking the Dark Mark. He had simply been too blind to see it. "</p><p>In an alternate universe, Draco Malfoy rejects Lucius' offer of taking the Dark Mark and allying himself with Voldemort. When he is disowned, Narcissa stands up for him and surrenders all ties to the Malfoy family. Together, the pair spend an unexpected summer at The Burrow alongside Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys. Even more surprising to Draco is the tentative friendship he forms with the golden trio. But the events of the Triwizard Tournament had only been the beginning. Voldemort was rising to power once more and taking the rest of the world with him in his second descent to madness.</p><p>Together, Draco and his newfound friends must find a way to survive their fifth year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Every Day The Same Dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Its_me_midge](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_me_midge/gifts).



> Hello everyone and welcome once more to "I Love You is Back"! I have seriously re-plotted every inch of this story. It is now set starting in the summer after everyone's fourth year. This fic has turned into a giant story with three parts so stick around, it's going to be long and hopefully epic. Thank y'all so much for giving "I Love You is Back" a second go!
> 
> Once again, this story is dedicated to my bro for life: Midge. Love u b

_“Here is the story of one man with strange light and tiny blisses._

_A story of wild me lost among wild you.”_

—     Derrick C. Brown, _Strange Light_

**Part 1: Crescendo**

Although he did not like to admit it to himself, Draco had always known that his father was a Death Eater. But his suspicions were confirmed when his mother’s letter came in the mail. The code they had devised before Draco went to Hogwarts had pulled through. Nobody suspected a thing. Draco had seen Harry Potter hunched over Diggory’s body; he knew all too well that the boy who lived was telling the truth when he spoke of Voldemort’s return. Lucius’ letter came a day later. According to his father, Draco was to take the Dark Mark; this would effectively ally him with he-who-must-not-be-named. The subject of becoming a Death Eater had been the latest material of Draco’s nightmares for days afterwards.

 Every day it was the same dream. He was at Hogwarts, gossiping with Pansy. But when he turned his head to look for Crabbe and Goyle, all he saw were the bodies of Slytherins in the common room. When Draco looked back at Pansy she was hunched over the table, blood oozing from a dagger in her back. The wizard would run away from the table, calling for help. But the halls of Hogwarts were narrower, the walls dingy, and a river of blood ran down the floor. Draco would for a seemingly endless time until he arrived in the Great Hall. But it was no different. He saw the bodies of his friends, his classmates, teachers, and even the great Harry Potter lay slain on the floor surrounded by the corpses of his friends. And one by one, the grasping hands of his classmates would pull him down, screaming at him for betraying them to the Dark Lord. And when Draco looked at his left forearm, the Dark Mark was inked on his skin.

It had gotten so bad that Draco refused to let himself sleep. Instead he would lay awake for as long as he could, thinking about Lucius’ proposal. The first option was to serve he-who-must-not-be-named as faithfully as his father before him. But he would be shunned by everyone he knew and put in Azkaban to rot if he was caught. Draco shivered at the thought as he stared at the ceiling in the dark. He didn’t fancy spending the rest of his life in the company of Bellatrix Lestrange and all the other insane Death Eaters. There was one other option, he supposed. Draco sat up, sighing and rubbing his temples. There’s no way, he thought, I couldn’t survive. He lay down once more face first into the pillow. Draco screamed into it, cursing the day he had been born to the Malfoy family.

The wizard stopped screaming abruptly, afraid that his parents would hear him. Draco had until tomorrow to give Lucius an answer. Shouldn’t I at least consider the other option? Draco tried to clear the thought from his mind and put his left cheek on the pillow; he stared through the window. Draco got out of bed and walked over to the picture window, sitting on the light grey cushion. His black sheets and forest green comforter were unmade and Draco knew his father would have a cow if he knew that his son had gotten up without making his bed. Draco smirked at the thought. It would be the start of his rebellion, the blonde mused. But Draco stiffened at the thought of going against his father’s wishes. The man had never been affectionate in a traditional sense.

“I need to get out of here.” Draco whispered, nodding his head. He opened the window, lowering himself to the trellis. The boy closed the window behind him as he clutched onto the white painted wood. He cursed as he grabbed onto a particularly thorny branch of the rose that climbed the trellis. Perhaps this was his Lucius’ way of insuring that his son wouldn’t sneak out. It seemed likely; Draco chuckled but then cursed when he scratched his arm. As soon as he could see that he wouldn’t break anything if he jumped, Draco pushed himself backwards, extending his legs outwards so he would land on his rear. He hit the grass with a thump and Draco groaned before standing. At least he hadn’t broken anything and for that he was grateful. As far as bruises went, however, he supposed that only time would tell. The boy looked around to see if anyone was watching. Once he was convinced that he was alone, Draco sprinted towards the gardens.

The gardens were Narcissa’s pride and joy. She tended them carefully, which made her rather unique amongst wealthy purebloods, Draco thought. Many other rich women would have house elves take care of the garden but Narcissa refused to ask for help. Draco knew that his mother was especially proud of her daisy garden. The gardens were essentially a glorified green house, as the gardens had enchantments to regulate the environment from moisture in the air to the amount of shade in an area. Draco remembered the giant wrought iron gate that served as the only practical entrance squeaked more than one of those obnoxious muggle rubber ducks. So he opted to crouch under the hedge through the hidden entrance he had made. The gardens were a good place to clear his head; the secret entrance was quiet so nobody would know where had gone.

Draco cursed under his breath as he squeezed through the hole. He definitely had to widen it when he got the chance; the branches had started to grow back with a vengeance and he was not made of spaghetti, thank you very much. Draco emerged into the gardens, feeling the warmth of it as a contrast to the dry cold of the summer night. The Malfoy manor was positioned in such a frigid area that even the summers were cold. Draco was always thankful for the warmth of the gardens, especially when he was home for winter break. The boy looked around, his eyes darting from tree to flower and back again. He was always amazed at the beauty of this place.

Slowly, Draco started to walk down the inlaid stone path. The flat and dark grey river rocks were smooth on the soles of his feet. The wizard made his way to a wooded area, passing through the wrought iron gate eagerly. He looked up and could barely see the night sky through the canopy. Draco’s eyes adjusted to the lack of light as he wandered deeper into the trees. This was not a common area that Narcissa tended to so it was easy to get lost with no path to follow. It was lucky for him that he knew his way around like the back of his hand. Draco put his hand on an aspen tree, running his fingers over the smooth white bark. The wizard saw all the different types of trees that inhabited the forest. There were pines with dark green needles that reminded Draco of Christmas. Old oaks stood, their branches ever reaching for the sun. He passed through the hole in a middle of a giant red sequoia tree, taking a moment sit down in the shadowy space.

Honestly, Draco had no idea how his mother had grown a giant red sequoia tree. But she was a witch, brilliant at herbology. It was a shame, he thought, that Lucius forbid Narcissa from working outside the home. At least she had the gardens to keep her happy. Draco got up after sitting in silence for a few moments, quickly making his way to the grand sumac tree in a clearing ahead. The blonde smiled when he saw the sumac, practically jogging over to it. He ran his hand over the smooth bark and through the many small, light green leaves until he found a red flower. It resembled celosia in appearance, with tightly coiled, red, and fuzzy blooms. It grew straight up, tapering into a point at the end. Draco messed with the soft and fuzzy red flower absentmindedly. With a sigh, he let go of the flower before he turned around and sat down, leaning against the tree. Draco didn’t know what to do. He had another option but it was utter bollocks. At least, that was what he told himself.

The other way he could shape his future was to refuse the Dark Mark. Draco hoped that he could avoid the killing curse from Lucius, as that would surely be what would happen. His death would be portrayed as a tragic accident and life would go on. Draco knew that nobody would miss him, he wasn’t worth their tears. He faded into the background at the manor, not speaking until spoken to. To compensate, he was a right git at school. Any attention was good attention, which was the thought he used to rationalize his behavior. Draco bent his knees, putting his arms around his legs. The boy leaned his head against his knees as if he could hide his head in the sand like an ostrich. Would losing me even be a loss? Draco didn’t try to put the thought from his mind as he had before. He was done lying to himself, Draco decided. What was the point of living if every option he had led to his doom?

If he could escape from Lucius relatively unscathed then he was out the frying pan and into the fire. Where would he sleep? What would he eat? How could he get a job? These were all questions that he had attempted to solve in the week he had been given to make a decision. How could he live with himself if he had to kill someone in cold blood? Flashes of Draco’s dream went through his head and the boy trembled. He heard Pansy asking why he betrayed them, her pale hands clamped like a vice on his neck as she pulled him down to eye level. The voices got louder, more distorted. Oh merlin, the screams… Draco shook his head vigorously, rubbing his eyelids as if he could wipe the dream from his mind. When the dream started to fade, the blonde sighed. The more he considered becoming a Death Eater, the less he liked it. But Draco wanted to please his father, had always wanted Lucius to be proud of him for once.

For once in his life, the wizard did not know what to do. He had been engaged to Pansy when they were children, though thankfully not anymore. After that he had learned to play the piano like his father before him but Lucius only attended one recital. Instead of praise, Draco got a list of the all his mistakes. Then he was off to school, he was to be sorted into Slytherin and to try and become friends with Harry Potter so he could learn his weaknesses. The latter did not go as planned, to say the least. That had been more than enough for his father to avert his eyes when Draco entered a room. So he did the next best thing and teased the golden trio relentlessly. At least the insults had gotten Draco the attention he had always craved as a child. The teenager sighed once more, rubbing his temples.

You can either become your father or you can forge your own path.

This was the final ultimatum Draco gave himself. It was clear to the wizard now after a week of consideration that his path had been spelled out for him as soon as Lucius broached the subject of Draco taking the Dark Mark. He had simply been too blind to see it. Yes, that was the road he would take. Draco nodded, leaning against the tree for a few more moments before he yawned. He hadn’t slept well in days. Draco got up, brushing leaves off of his pants. The teenager made his way out of the gardens, through the hidden entrance and back to the trellis. He, rather reluctantly, climbed up the trellis. Draco tried to ignore the thorns digging into his palms, hurrying along until he got to the window. The wizard opened the window carefully, hoping that it didn’t squeak too loudly. Draco climbed in through the window and shut it behind him.

He sat on the grey cushion of the picture window. Draco leaned back against the wall; he swore that he could have almost fallen asleep. The tired boy forced himself to get up and get in bed. He pulled the comforter up around him, drifting into sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He did not dream of murdered friends that night.


	2. The Series of Unfortunate Events That Led to Cohabitation With the Weasleys

When Draco woke up, it was still far too early for his tastes. He glanced over at the clock, relieved to see that it was only a few minutes after nine o’clock. The boy turned over on his stomach, hiding his face in the pillow. Perhaps it was childish, but he just wanted to stay here all day; maybe if Draco avoided Lucius for long enough then his father would forget about him. But it was a fool notion, he knew that. Draco rolled over before sitting up, stretching as he looked out his window. He got out of bed and went to sit on the gray cushions of his picture window.

From there, the blonde could see the faint layer of snow covering the grass. To his right were the gardens that he had snuck into last night. The English holly hedge was as perfectly neat as ever, the dark evergreen leaves were interspersed with bright red berries. Draco didn’t see his mother in the gardens so she was probably still eating breakfast with Lucius. The wizard got up, making his way to a dark chestnut wardrobe on the adjacent wall. Draco took his black trunk suitcase out of the wardrobe and kneeled down to open it. He looked at his clothing, trying to decide what to bring with him. The boy folded up some of his robes, including his Hogwarts uniform, and then grabbed some casual clothing and pajamas. He hoped that the clothing he chose wouldn’t end up being too delicate to survive what would surely be the harsh life that awaited him.

Draco then dragged his trunk over to his bookcase, where he put in his school supplies. His eyes flickered over the books he possessed, trying to decide what was most important to him. Without hesitation, he put in his music theory and piano sheet music books though he was unsure of when he would have an opportunity to use them. Draco picked a few more books he had enjoyed, primarily mystery novels. When he saw _The Tales of Beedle the Bard,_ Draco remembered Narcissa reading him to sleep with stories. He took that too before searching his room for anything else of value. He didn’t see anything that he would need among all of his useless yet pretty possessions. The blonde returned to his wardrobe, picking out black slacks, a forest green button up, a slate gray waistcoat, and polished black dress shoes. If Draco was going to throw his life away, he would at least do it in style.

He looked in the mirror after he finished buttoning up his waistcoat. The usually immaculate blonde looked anything but flawless at the moment. Draco’s hair was disheveled, the light blonde strands poking out in every direction. The dark circles under his eyes spoke of sleepless nights and his eyes were bloodshot. With trembling hands, Draco smoothed down his hair, only partially successful in his endeavor. But it would have to do for now, the boy decided. After all, he had to talk to Lucius sooner or later. However preferable the latter would be, Draco knew that he should just get it over with. He looked over at his bedside table, remembering the gift Pansy had given him at the end of the school year. Smiling, he walked over and put the thick bracelet on; it was braided black leather with a small silver snake coiled around it; Pansy had bought it from an old man who sold handmade jewelry at his booth in Diagon Alley.

Finally, Draco walked over to his trunk and closed it, fastening the clasps before locking it with a small key that hung on a thin silver chain. The blonde put the chain around his neck, tucking the key underneath his shirt. Draco put his wand in his pocket, unsure of whether or not he would have to stun Lucius in order to escape the manor. He put the trunk on a black metal trolley and rolled it to the door, opening it while taking deep breaths to calm himself. Draco slowly walked down the hall, trying to take it all in before he would be forced to leave forever. The walls were wallpapered a dark gray, the white baseboard polished to perfection. Old portraits of his ancestors watched him as he walked, talking about Draco behind his back. His ancestors had never been secretive in their opinion of him. They believed he was weak; believed they knew Draco would be a blood traitor. He supposed they were right.

Draco carefully maneuvered his trunk down the stairs before making his way to the dining room. The boy leaned his trolley against the wall next to the doorway, it was best that Lucius didn’t know his intentions beforehand. He clasped his shaking hands in front of him, trying to steel himself for what Lucius what say to him. Draco leaned his forehead on the gray wallpaper, closing his eyes and taking more deep breaths. Finally, he forced himself to stand up straight and walk into the dining room. Lucius sat at the head of the table by the window across the room, on his father’s left sat Narcissa. Lucius was reading the Daily Prophet while his mother sat reading a book; from the look of it, she was still reading her new tome of environment altering spells. The two sat in silence, only looking up when Draco cleared his throat.

“I have made my decision, father.” He started, relieved that his voice hadn’t trembled. Lucius looked at him expectantly, smirking as if he already knew what Draco was about to say. “I will…” Draco paused to clear his throat. “I will not take the Dark Mark.”

“Excellent! I will inform,” Lucius cut himself off when he realized what Draco had said. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“The right thing,” the boy replied without hesitation.

“No, it is the dumb thing.” His father narrowed his eyes. “Surely you must know that The Dark Lord will win. We must side with him or he will kill us all.”

“You’re wrong.” Draco had always imagined what it would be like to stand up to his father; currently, it was terrifying yet exhilarating. “He has been defeated before and he will be again. He-who-must-not-be-named is evil and if we join him to save ourselves then we are no worse than him.”

“The Dark Lord desires to bring an era of pureblood dominance, Draco.” His father reminded him. “This is what we’ve been waiting for; this is what will make our family name respected once more.” Lucius raised an eyebrow as he looked at his son. “Don’t you care about being respected?”

“Will they respect us, father? Or will they fear us?” Draco snapped, crossing his arms.

“I am the one who will redeem our family!”

“You are the one who will drag our name through the mud until we are worth less than dust!”

“Watch your tongue!” Lucius roared as he stood up, drawing his wand. Narcissa jumped to her feet, pulling out her wand as well. To Draco’s great surprise, she pointed it at her husband.

“Put down your wand, Lucius.” She commanded, her eyes cold.

“You will not order me about in my own house.” Lucius snapped at her, still pointing his wand at Draco.

“And I will never let you hurt our son again.” Narcissa stood her ground, unwilling to back down.

“If you do not stop this then I cannot guarantee your safety.” His father threatened. Without missing a beat, Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at his father.

“Don’t talk to her like that!” Draco yelled, his hand shaking. Lucius looked from his wife to Draco, eyes wide.

“You have both turned on me.” He murmured, shaking his head. “So be it.” His father looked Draco in the eye before turning his wand on him.

“Expelliarmus!” Narcissa shouted as she disarmed her husband. “Flipendo!” She threw Lucius against the wall and took his wand before running over to Draco. “Come on, we’ve got to go!” She gripped his arm tightly as she led him out of the dining room.

“Wait, I’ve got to get my trunk.” Draco grabbed the handle of the trolley. Narcissa ran ahead of him, leading the way to the parlor. He followed his mother, ignoring Lucius shouting in the background. Once they got there, Narcissa took the canister of floo powder from the mantle. She opened it, putting some in Draco’s upturned palm before taking some for herself. His mother paused, eyes widening as she stared at the archway. Draco whirled around, the blood draining from his face when he saw Lucius. Even without his wand, Draco knew that his father was still a very dangerous man. He could probably kill the both of them if he managed to disarm the pair, as tall and muscular as he was.

“If you leave the manor now, don’t bother coming back.” Lucius declared, seemingly calm. But Draco knew that his father was absolutely livid, the anger in his eyes betrayed him.

“Don’t worry, darling,” Narcissa spat. “We don’t concern ourselves with scum.” She smirked even as Lucius clenched his fists. His mother threw her floo powder into the fireplace. “The Burrow,” she said before stepping into the fireplace and promptly disappearing along with the canister of floo powder. Draco followed suit despite his confusion. The strange feeling of weightlessness ended a few moments later when Draco stumbled out from the fireplace in the Burrow. He looked up to see the shocked faces of the Weasley family, even Harry Potter was there. “Hello, Molly,” Narcissa greeted the other woman when she finally broke the silence.

“Narcissa,” Molly began, looking from her to Draco. “What has happened?”

“Perhaps we should speak in a more private setting.” His mother suggested. Molly nodded and stood up, motioning for Narcissa to follow her. Before his mother followed Molly, she turned and put her hand on Draco’s shoulder for a moment, a small smile on her face. Before he had time to respond, Narcissa was already walking out of the room with Molly. Draco watched them go, sighing. He pocketed his wand quickly as he looked over at the Weasleys. They were all glaring at Draco and the blonde wondered if they would attack him as quickly as his father had.

“Why are you here?” Ron asked, scowling at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be learning ways to kill Harry?” When Draco didn’t respond, Ron rolled his eyes. “You always were a coward.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Draco looked at the ground, speaking softly.

“Of course you would say that,” Ron snapped. “You’re a treacherous snake, just like your father.” The Gryffindor taunted him, smirking when Draco didn’t say anything.

“And I’m sure that it takes a great amount of courage to kick someone when they’re down.” Draco crossed his arms as he stared at Ron. The Weasley in question stood up quickly, fists clenched as he walked over to Draco.

“What did you say?”

“Oh, pardon me; I didn’t know that your hearing is more impaired than your intelligence.” Draco smirked, almost laughing at Ron’s expression.

“You better stop, Malfoy.” He growled, his eyes flashing.

“Or what, you’ll say stop again?”

“Break it up, boys; I will not stand for fighting in my house!” Molly walked into the room with Narcissa at her side. Ron scowled at Draco for another moment before walking over to where had been sitting with Harry. The Weasley sat down, glaring at Draco all the while. “Great news, everyone,” Molly grinned at her family as she stood in the center of the room. “The Malfoys will be staying with us for the rest of the summer!” Her declaration was met with groaning from all the other people in the room besides Narcissa and Draco. The latter raised an eyebrow, looking at his mother. How in the world had she convinced Molly to let them stay with her family?

"You can’t be serious.” Ginny stared at her mother, waiting for her to take it back.

“I am very serious,” she nodded. “And while they are our guests, there will be no fighting.” Molly looked pointedly at Ron, who was frowning at Draco. “Now,” she turned to look at Narcissa and Draco. “I should show the both of you where you’ll be staying.” Molly smiled at them. Draco looked from Molly to his mother, waiting for her to reassure him. Narcissa nodded as she put her hand on his shoulder once more. The blonde reached for the handle of his trolley, rolling it behind him as they walked up the narrow staircase. The three of them walked in silence up the rickety stairs of the Burrow until they stopped on the top floor. Molly opened a narrow door that, presumably, led to the attic. Narcissa and Draco followed her inside, looking around the cramped room. “I know it’s not much, but this is the only empty room we have. It used to be Bill and Charlie’s room.”

“It’s great,” Draco said as he walked over to a bed by the window. “Thank you, Mrs. Weasley.” He jumped when he felt a hand on his arm, pulling it out of reach of the person behind him. The blonde turned his head to see Molly looking at him, frowning slightly as she lowered her hand.

“I’ll leave you two to get settled in.” She turned and walked out of the room, glancing at Draco as she closed the door. He heard his mother sigh, turning to see her sitting on the bed nearest to the door.

“Are you going to tell her?” Narcissa met her son’s eye, her gaze unwavering.

“What do I say?” Draco shook his head. When his mother didn’t respond, he sat down on the bed by the window. “That I have issues? I think that goes unsaid.”

“Then why don’t you talk to me?”

“Because…” He scrambled to think of a good reason but couldn’t. Instead, he lay back and looked at the ceiling. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Draco, you can’t bottle it up forever.” Narcissa reminded him. “I’ll be here for you.”

“I know.” He said, closing his eyes. Narcissa didn’t answer, instead opting to let the silence stretch between them. Draco lay there, relaxing little by little until he had almost drifted off to sleep. A knock on the door startled Draco and his eyes snapped open, his head turned towards the door. Molly poked her head in the door and Draco let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

“I just wanted to let you two know that we have leftovers from breakfast downstairs.”

“Thank you Molly, we’ll be down in a bit.” Narcissa smiled at the other woman. Molly nodded before leaving again; Draco could hear the stairs creaking as Molly made her way downstairs. “Do you want breakfast?”

“I don’t know.”

“You must be hungry.” His mother insisted, sighing when her son didn’t reply. “You stood up to Lucius this morning, I’m sure you can handle a few Weasleys.” Narcissa quipped. Draco laughed at her comment; when he looked over he could see her smirking.

“Let’s go get breakfast.”


	3. The Return of the Frizzy Haired Know it all

The excited greetings and laughter in the early hours of the morning were not at all appreciated. Now that Draco had made his decision, he had intended to get a good night’s sleep. But with the arrival of Hermione Granger, it was proving to be more difficult than imagined. Molly had told them yesterday that they were expecting Hermione to stay with them this summer; Draco had thought she would arrive at a reasonable hour. He looked over at the clock, groaning when he saw that it was only a few minutes after seven.

“They seem ecstatic,” Narcissa mused as she looked at the ceiling. Draco put the pillow over his head. “Perhaps they are doing it to torture you.” She laughed when her son didn’t say anything. The boy sat up, putting the pillow in his lap before looking at Narcissa. He could see her grinning at him in the morning light and he frowned in return. “Don’t be so glum, at least we’re not down there with them.” Just then, a particularly high pitched squeal made his mother roll her eyes. “Well now they’re just being silly.”

“You never told me why we came here, to the Burrow, of all places.”

“Molly and I are old friends.” Narcissa explained, chuckling at Draco’s surprised expression. “I know it doesn’t make sense, let me explain.” She cleared her throat before continuing. “It all began in our fourth year at Hogwarts. Professor Blackburn was assigning potions partners.” She glanced at her son. “You know how it is, Slytherins had classes with Gryffindors. Well, professor Blackburn hoped that pairing Slytherins and Gryffindors together would help end House rivalry.” Narcissa shook her head at the memory. “Little did he know that he was right.”

“So I’m guessing he paired you and Mrs. Weasley together.”

“Yes, she was Molly Prewett back then. Lucius was furious! He had been paired with Iris MacFarlane, an Irish muggleborn.” Narcissa rolled her eyes. “Not only is she a Mick, she’s a mudblood!” She attempted to make her voice deeper, doing her best impression of her husband. Draco laughed at his mother’s silly imitation. “Of course, Molly and I hated each other at first. But little by little, it became clear that we had no reason to hate each other besides stupid preconceptions. So we started to be civil to each other and then one day we just…” She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m not entirely sure when it began, but we became friends.”

“But the two of you haven’t spoken in years, right?”

“Not exactly,” Narcissa smirked. Draco raised an eyebrow at his mother’s statement, waiting for an explanation. “I’ve been writing to Molly for years. However, I was supposedly writing to Penelope Barton.”

“So father never knew, he thought you were writing to someone else.” Draco realized, nodding slowly. “How did you say you knew her?”

“I told Lucius that she was a distant cousin, living in America.”

“That’s brilliant, and utterly Slytherin of you.” He grinned and Narcissa winked at him. Someone knocked on the door before opening it. It was Molly, grinning at the pair.

“Breakfast is ready,” she told them. “And Hermione arrived early, as you two probably know already.”

“Yes, the high pitched squealing tipped us off.” Draco quipped.

“They’re excited, can you blame them?” Molly asked. When Draco simply raised an eyebrow at her, Molly shrugged. “Point taken,” she chuckled. “I’ll see you two in a few minutes.” She turned around, closing the door behind her. Narcissa got out of bed, heading to the dresser across the room. Molly’s floral nightgown had not fit his mother at first; she had to adjust it with magic. Since Narcissa hadn’t gotten to pack anything in their escape from the manor, Molly had given Narcissa her old clothes. Narcissa picked out a long, dark green dress. Originally, it had long sleeves and was way too big. His mother had removed the sleeves until they were straps. She had lowered the neckline in the front and made it into an open back dress. Narcissa had told him that although she may be wearing old clothes, she was going to at least make them look good.

“Mind if I take a shower first?”

“Not at all,” Draco said as he got out of bed. She gathered her clothes and left the room, heading for the small bathroom next to their room. He opened the bottom two drawers, as the top two drawers were his mother’s, and picked out clothes for the day. Draco chose grey slacks, a white button up shirt, and a navy sweater. He put the clothing on the top of the dresser. The blonde walked over to the window, looking out at the fields surrounding the Burrow. There was a dirt path that led through the fields; Draco had no idea where it led to. Tall green grass was interspersed with muhly and fountain grass that seemed to go on for miles. The forest on the edge of the field was full of tall oaks and cypress trees. To the right, there was a large pond; reeds grew tall on the edges. The sun was low on the horizon, fog still clinging to the grass.

“Shower’s all yours,” Narcissa said as she opened the door. “Do you want me to wait for you?”

“I’d like that.” Draco turned around and walked to the dresser while Narcissa sat on her bed. “I’ll just be a few minutes.” He promised, clothing in hand as he walked out of the bedroom. Draco walked through the open door to the bathroom, shutting and locking it behind him. He put his clothes on the closed toilet lid along with a towel. The boy turned on the water, waiting for it to warm up as he took off his pajamas. He threw them in the hamper before stepping into the shower. Much to his displeasure, the water was only lukewarm.

Draco showered quickly, thankful that the shampoo didn’t smell like he had doused himself in perfume. He turned off the water and grabbed his towel, drying off as he stepped out of the shower. Draco put on his clothes and combed through his hair. He looked almost presentable besides the dark circles under his eyes. He headed back to the bedroom, opening the door to see Narcissa looking out the window.

“The view is amazing, don’t you think?” Draco leaned against the door frame.

“It is,” she replied, still looking out the window. “We are lucky.”

“I know.” He nodded as his mother turned around. “I honestly thought I would be living on the streets.”

“Did you not think I would defend you?”

“I was unsure. Lucius is just so…” He thought for a moment, brow furrowed. “He could have killed you.”

“I know,” she frowned. “But I couldn’t let him hurt you.” They stood in silence for a few moments before Narcissa cleared her throat. “Are you ready to go downstairs?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Draco turned and headed down the rickety stairs. Narcissa closed the door behind them and walked in silence with her son. It only took a minute or so to get to the bottom floor and they headed immediately to the kitchen. They entered the room together but paused in the doorway, unsure of where to sit. There were only two more seats available and they were across each other at the end of the table closest to them. Although they had not announced their entrance, the group paused when they entered the room. The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione stared at them in silence. Hermione turned to Ginny after a few moments, whispering in her ear. Draco sighed and walked over to the seat next to the witch. Narcissa sat down across from him and conversation started to resume.

“Good morning.” Molly greeted them. “Alright, everyone dig in!” Without hesitation, the group started loading their plates with pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Draco didn’t get anything right away; instead he drank orange juice, observing the other people sitting at the table. The Weasleys were rowdy as ever, Fred and George being the loudest of the bunch. Ron was drowning his pancakes in syrup while chatting enthusiastically with Harry. Percy ate in silence, avoiding conversation with the rest of his family. Bill was speaking with his father; Draco couldn’t hear what he was saying due to the loudness of the present company. Charlie was eating his eggs, pausing in between bites to talk to Ginny. Narcissa was cutting up her pancakes into small bites, not talking to anyone. That was when Draco noticed he was being watched. He tried to shake it off and concentrate on eating bacon.

“Why are you here?” Hermione asked finally after watching him for a few minutes.

“I have nowhere else to go.” He answered, still not looking at the witch.

“Why did you leave the manor?”

“I am not welcome there anymore.” Draco sipped his orange juice, wishing that Hermione would stop asking him questions.

“What did you do?”

“I refused to serve the Dark Lord.” He said, finally looking over at Hermione. By now the table had gotten quieter, anticipating his answers. “He wanted to commit genocide and my father wanted me to…” He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. “He wanted me to follow orders without question, to become a heartless murderer. I couldn’t do it.” Draco shrugged. “I wanted to impress him but I can’t, I am not good enough.” Silence fell over the group and Draco drank orange juice, staring at the chestnut colored table. Hermione reached out to touch his arm. Draco scooted his chair further to the right and Hermione put her hand on the table instead. She raised an eyebrow at his reaction but didn’t say anything. “Don’t,” he shook his head. “Please don’t ask me to explain.” Draco caught her eye and she nodded.

 The rest of breakfast passed quickly and soon Arthur was off to work. Ginny, Fred, George, Ron, Charlie, Ron, and Harry went outside to play quidditch. Hermione went to get a book before going outside to watch them play. Percy went upstairs to finish something for work and Molly was already busy knitting something. Narcissa decided to take a walk alone; she told Draco she needed to clear her head. Draco went to the living room where they had come in through the fireplace yesterday. He had stayed up in the attic room yesterday to avoid everyone else. He walked around, looking at his surroundings.

There was a plushy brown loveseat directly across from the fireplace. Scattered through the rest of the room were armchairs and small couches. Lamps of varying size, design, and color were on end tables along with vases of flowers. Against one wall was a huge bookcase, filled with many books. There was a huge array of subjects, Draco found as he examined the bookcase. Much to his surprise, there were books of piano sheet music. He picked one out, pleased to see that it was full of Chopin concertos. Draco looked around for a piano, his eyes landed on an aging, walnut colored upright piano. He hurried over to it, placing the book on the sheet music rack.

Draco sat down on the bench, searching the book for his favorite Chopin piece to play. When he found it, it was near the back of the book. He took a deep breath, holding his fingers slightly above the keys. Draco began to play, getting lost in the familiar melody. He didn’t even notice Hermione come into the room. The girl in question didn’t make a sound as she watched him. Draco’s fingers glided across the keys, playing the song with ease. He had played a lot of Chopin compositions since he began to play piano, seeing as how Chopin was one of his favorite composers. When he finished, he froze realizing someone was watching him. Draco turned around to face Hermione, raising an eyebrow at the witch.

“That was beautiful,” she smiled. “I had no idea you played piano.”

“You may be smart, but you know nothing about me.” He said, crossing his arms. Hermione walked up to him, pausing before she got to the piano.

“What were you playing?”

“Fantaisie Impromptu by Chopin,” he turned back towards the piano. “Do you listen to classical music?”

“Sometimes, I like to listen to it when I do homework.” She stepped forward, leaning over Draco’s shoulder to look at the sheet music. “I like Tchaikovsky, especially The Waltz of the Flowers.”

“Good choice,” he turned the page, resting his fingers above the keys. “I thought you were going to watch your friends play quidditch.”

“If I’ve watched them once, I’ve watched them a thousand times.” Hermione nodded. “Do you mind if I pull up a chair and listen?”

“Go ahead,” he shrugged. Hermione dragged a blue armchair next to the piano, positioning it so she was sitting beside him. He paused for a moment before he began to play another piece by Chopin. They sat in silence, Draco playing the piano and Hermione reading next to him. It was surprising to Draco, how civil they were being to each other. But he wasn’t going to ask why, didn’t want them to revert back to insults. Sitting in silence was good enough, he figured, he didn’t want to talk anyway. And neither did Hermione, so it seemed. Draco played song after song and Hermione didn’t leave, much to his surprise. And he found, also to his great surprise, he didn’t mind as much as he thought he would. Hermione didn’t get up until she finished her book. She looked at him for a few moments before dragging the armchair back to where it had been before. Draco stopped playing, turned around to look at her. She paused in the doorway and he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Thanks for the music.” With that, she walked out of the room. Draco shrugged before turning back to face the piano once more. It wasn’t as nice as the grand piano at the manor, but it would do for now. At least he had a roof over his head, and for that he was grateful. Draco could only hope that his good luck would continue.


	4. A Garden Full of Weasleys, Hermione, Narcissa, and a Rather Reluctant Draco

“I’m not entirely sure that this is a good idea.” Draco repeated himself as they walked down the dirt path. “I don’t know how to garden! Besides, you’re the herbology genius, not me.”

“Chin up, dear, it’s not the end of the world.” She grinned, winking at him.

“Afraid you’re gonna mess up your manicure, Malfoy?” Ron taunted, smirking.

“Nice one,” Draco turned around. “How long did it take you think that one up?”

“Shove off, Malfoy,” Ron snapped, face flushing. Draco turned to face forward once more, chuckling.

“Stay in your lane, Ron.” Ginny laughed. Draco could hear the group behind him laugh along with Ginny.

“Just how far away is this garden?” Draco asked Narcissa.

“It’s not too far now,” she assured him. He nodded, walking in silence next to his mother. As they got to the top of a grassy hill, he could see the garden in the field below. Draco paused for a moment, impressed at the sheer size of Molly Weasley’s garden. Narcissa grinned like a maniac, clasping her hands together before rushing down the hill.

“Don’t twist your ankle, mother!” He called after her, amused by her eagerness.

“I’m a grown woman, I do what I wish!” She waved him off, picking up her skirts as she ran down the hill. “Molly, these gardens are magnificent!” Narcissa crouched down, examining white flowers.

“Thank you,” Molly joined her, kneeling in the dirt next to Narcissa.

“It seems a bit strange, doesn’t it?” Hermione mused, standing next to Draco.

“Pardon?”

“Gardening just doesn’t seem like it would be one of your mother’s hobbies.” She shrugged, shifting her weight to her left foot.

“Why?” He turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “She is brilliant at herbology.” Draco frowned when he realized what Hermione was implying. “Ah, I see,” he schooled his features carefully into a seemingly indifferent expression. “You assumed that because she is a pureblood that she would rather die than get dirt on her hands.” Draco shook his head, walking towards his mother before Hermione could say anything else. He stooped down low as he stood over Molly and Narcissa. “What exactly am I looking at?”

“White phlox,” Molly answered. “You see the pink flower next to it?” She pointed to it and Draco nodded. “That’s the same flower, but pink. I’ll be showing you lot the difference between the weeds and the flowers.” With that, she stood up, motioning for the rest of the group to join them. They shuffled over, forming a half circle around Molly and Narcissa, who was now standing. “Alright, we’ve got to weed the flower beds. So,” she pointed to the flowers she had just shown Draco. “Those flowers stay, everything else in this section comes out.” She pulled up her sleeves. “Now, let’s get to work.”

The teenagers groaned but followed suit, bending down to pull the weeds. To Draco’s right, Molly and Narcissa were chatting animatedly about plants; although Draco had no idea what they were talking about, he was glad to see them getting along so well. He put a weed into a pile next to him, working in silence. He didn’t even look up when a certain frizzy haired witch started working next to him.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, trying to meet his eyes. Draco didn’t even glance at her, concentrating on the task at hand. “You act like I called her a prissy idiot.” Hermione huffed.

“Did you not?” He scowled, shaking dirt off his hands. “You believe you know everything; you think you have my mother and I figured out. Because we are purebloods, we are snobby all the time.” Draco pulled another weed from the ground, looking Hermione in the eye. “Reality is not so simple.” Without waiting for a reaction, he went back to concentrating on what Molly had requested.

“And you always take everything too seriously.” Hermione pointed out. “You hold grudges too easily, why don’t you just let it go? Everyone makes mistakes.” She smirked when he did not immediately have a sarcastic reply.

“Perhaps we both have things to learn.” Draco said finally, looking briefly at Hermione once more. When they finished that bed, the group moved onto other areas. As Draco pulled on a rather stubborn weed, he heard Ron sigh loudly to his left. He turned to see the redhead throw his hands up in the air.

“Why do I even bother with you?” He said, no real heat behind the words he spoke to Harry.

“What’s wrong?” Ginny asked, leaning against a rake.

“He didn’t see last week’s quidditch game!” Ron looked at Hermione. “I don’t suppose you saw it?”

“Ronald, my parents are muggles. How on earth would I watch a quidditch game?”

“This is exactly what I mean!” He rolled his eyes. “You two are absolutely hopeless.”

“Are you talking about the Chudley Cannons versus the Holyhead Harpies match?” Draco asked, wiping sweat from his brow. He smirked at Ron’s look of complete surprise. “Weren’t you glad that the Chudley Cannons won?”

“It was wonderful!” Ron beamed, grinning. “It was their first real sweep of this year’s season.” He puffed out his chest, still smiling. Draco had a terrible feeling that he had just gained some sort of approval from the redhead. “Do you watch a lot of quidditch?”

“When I can,” he nodded. “Lucius isn’t a huge fan of it.” Draco shrugged. “I usually read the recap in the paper the next day.”

“Such a shame,” Ron shook his head.

“Well you won’t find such a sentiment here.” Ginny assured. “We’re all nuts about quidditch.” She laughed, nudging the twins. “And these two are mean with a bat.”

“We’re good at what we do.” Fred said. But it could have very well been George; Draco had no clue how to tell the difference between them. Things fell into place after that, it was as if everyone let out a breath they didn’t realize they had been holding. Though what they talked about was mundane, mostly classes and quidditch, Draco didn’t mind. It was better that they didn’t talk about serious matters. Part of him wanted to explain what had happened; the other part of him was cautious to break the hesitant truce. When Narcissa and Molly had deemed their work acceptable, they sent the lot of them back to the Burrow. Narcissa claimed they would be unholy terrors if they tried to do more delicate work; Molly had solemnly agreed, much to Hermione’s chagrin and the rest of the group’s relief.

“What do you guys want for lunch?” Ron asked as he walked beside Harry, Hermione, and Draco.

“I don’t really care.” Draco said and Hermione nodded in agreement.

“That is both boring and entirely unhelpful.” Harry rolled his eyes at the pair. “We should have sandwiches.”

“And the award for creativity goes to Harry Potter!” Draco declared, laughing along with the other teenagers.

“I accept praise in the form of huge novelty checks.” Harry winked at Draco.

“Get used to disappointment.” Draco nudged him, smirking. They walked up the dirt road, quickly coming up on the Burrow. When they got inside, the teenagers went straight to the kitchen. Fred and George were looking around before they pulled some sort of vial out of their robes.

“Oh no,” Ginny pushed them away from the counters. “I don’t trust you two in the kitchen.” She shooed them and they begrudgingly left; but when Draco looked back, he saw them peering through the door way. They both waved at him before heading out of view. Draco looked back at the rest of the group, seeing that they had gotten bread, lunchmeat, condiments, cheese, and vegetables out.

“Who wants lettuce on a sandwich?” Ron protested as Hermione started to wash romaine leaves.

“People who aren’t barbarians,” she quipped; “In other words, everyone else.”

 “Then let them have their sophisticated sandwiches.” He finished his ham and cheese sandwich with some mayo. “I’ll be enjoying the best one while you guys suffer.” Ron took a bite out of his sandwich.

“Draco, will you cut the tomatoes?” Hermione asked, motioning to the cutting board. He nodded and walked over to the cutting board, next to the sink where Hermione was washing lettuce. He cut off the ends where the vine had been, setting those pieces in the sink. He cut them in thin slices, trying to make sure there was enough to go around.

“What classes are you taking this year?” Ginny asked as she spread mayo and mustard on the bread.

“I’m taking transfiguration, charms, potions, defence against the dark arts, herbology, astronomy, ancient runes, and arithmancy.” He set the slices of the first tomato aside, looking at Ginny. “What classes are you taking?”

“All the same except ancient runes and arithmancy.” She furrowed her brow slightly. “I took arithmancy last year, it was a nightmare.”

“It’s a difficult class, that’s for sure.” Draco chuckled. “What electives have you signed up for, then?”

“I’m taking muggle studies and care of magical creatures.” She gave him two pieces of bread, which he put slices of tomato on before handing the bread off to Hermione. “Are you two still doing divination?” Ginny looked at Harry and Ron.

“Yeah,” Harry said and Ron simply nodded, still eating his sandwich.

“Whose death do you think she’ll predict this year?” Charlie asked, leaning against the counter.

“Maybe someone who’s not famous,” Harry mused. “You know, just to switch things up a little.”

“Fat chance,” Draco said as he put the last two tomato slices on a sandwich. “Trelawney is always looking to be dramatic.” Harry held up his fingers, wiggling them as he walked over to Ron.

“Oh this is dire indeed!” Harry imitated Trelawney with a high pitched mockery of her voice. “Your sandwich is in the shape of the Grim!” He put a hand over his heart. “I fear for your safety, dear boy.” Ron rolled his eyes, swatting at Harry. Draco laughed along with the others as Charlie passed out sandwiches. Draco took a bite out of his; he hadn’t realized how hungry he had been until now. They ate in relative silence for a few moments.

“So, who plays piano?” Draco asked. Ron and Ginny looked at each other quickly, confusion clear on their faces. Charlie however, seemed to know exactly who Draco was talking about.

“Our father used to play it a lot.” Charlie nodded. “He’s been so busy with the Ministry; it’s been quite a while since we’ve heard him play.”

“Draco plays too,” Hermione said. “I watched him play yesterday when you guys were outside playing quidditch.”

“How long have you played?” Ginny asked as she put the mayo and mustard back in the fridge.

“Since I was little,” he thought back to his childhood, trying to pinpoint the exact year. “I probably started when I was about seven.”

“Did Lucius teach you?” Hermione turned to look at him.

“Yes,” he nodded. “He didn’t really care for my style, however.” Draco frowned upon remembering the first time Lucius heard him play. “Too many technical liberties, was what he told me.”

“What does that even mean?” Ron brushed crumbs off of his t-shirt.

“I don’t precisely play how the sheet music says to.” Draco shrugged. “If I can make it sound better with a bit of tweaking, I don’t see why I shouldn’t do it.”

“That does sound like Lucius.” Harry observed, crossing his arms. Draco simply nodded, finishing off his sandwich. “Do you guys want to play quidditch?”

“I’m game,” Ron said. “What about you, Draco?”

“You already have a seeker, do you not?” He motioned to Harry.

“Maybe you could play a different position.” Ginny suggested. “Have you ever played as a chaser?”

“I’ve done it once or twice before, but only with friends.” Draco admitted. “I guess I could try again, if that’s alright.”

“Brilliant,” Ron grinned. “I wonder where Fred and George got off to.” The group followed Ron out of the kitchen and into the living room, where Fred and George were sitting in some armchairs.

“We’re gonna play quidditch.” Charlie told them. “Care to join us?”

“Last one there is a rotten egg!” They said at the same time, rather eerily is Draco’s opinion. He wasn’t sure how they managed to do that; he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know, either. The other teenagers followed them out, running at full speed out into the yard. Hermione and Draco walked out together, laughing at the antics of their companions.

“Looks like we’ll be the rotten eggs,” he winked at her. She smirked before pushing him back, running towards the field.

“Not if I can help it!” Hermione called back to him, smiling. Draco shook his head as he took off after her, getting ready for what he hoped would be a good game of quidditch.


	5. Paperwork Blues

Draco had expected the divorce paperwork to come sooner or later, but he had hoped it would have been later. He knew exactly what his mother was looking at as soon as he walked into the kitchen. She sat at the table, a cup of earl grey in one hand, paperwork in the other.

“Twenty two years of marriage gone, just like that.” She said, looking up at her son. “I had hoped he might reconsider joining Voldemort but…” Narcissa sighed, shaking her head. “He always was a dreadfully stubborn man.”

“Then, that’s it?” Draco asked, leaning on the doorframe. “He just sent the paperwork without so much as a letter?” He raised an eyebrow. “Truthfully, I expected a howler, if anything.”

“I do say that would be suitably dramatic for him.” She chuckled. “But what of his dignity? The poor man would be mortified that the Weasleys would be witness to such a display.” Narcissa winked and Draco laughed before taking a seat across from her. “What are you doing up so early anyways?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” He shrugged, looking down at the table. “You know how it is.” Draco looked back up at his mother when she put her hand over his, the paperwork set aside. She didn’t say anything, just nodded slightly.

“Do you want some earl grey?”

“Yes, please.” He picked up the paperwork, skimming it as Narcissa found a mug for Draco. “He’s not going to petition for custody, is he?”

“I don’t think so, but I’ll have to discuss the finer points of the divorce with his lawyer.” Narcissa sat down again, sliding a chipped mug of earl grey across the table. He handed her the paperwork, taking a sip of his tea. “As is, I’m wondering if he will even show up to these meetings. Lucius might just send his lawyer to act in his stead.”

“That seems petty.” Draco commented before drinking more. “So I suppose it would be entirely in character.” He smirked when he heard his mother start to laugh.

“You know, once upon a time, he wasn’t so bad.” Narcissa pushed the paperwork away, finishing her tea. “I mean, we were all so prejudiced against muggleborns. We were the pureblood elite, right?” She got up, taking her mug to be refilled. “We were young and he was charming.” Narcissa stirred milk and sugar into her tea before going back to sit at the table. “I was smitten before I even knew him.”

“How did you two meet?”

“The Parkinson’s were hosting a Christmas party. Their mansion was beautiful, there was holly wrapped around every banister, with floating red and green candles above us. Their Christmas tree was giant, I wasn’t sure how they go it into their house.” She chuckled at the memory. “I was drinking eggnog near the refreshment table with Ada Parkinson. And then, our eyes met across the room.” Narcissa sipped her earl grey, pausing after she set it down. “Of course our families had known each other for quite some time, but I was too caught up with school and my friends to really pay attention. Lucius was a year ahead of me at Hogwarts, so we didn’t really have classes together. I was sixteen when I met him, in my fifth year. He politely asked to dance with me and I was so nervous.” She shook her head. “It was a different time, more innocent I suppose.”

“It sounds like something out of a fairytale.” Draco said, drumming his fingers on the table. “What changed him, I wonder.”

“His father had a lot to do with it.” Narcissa rested her head in her hands, tea long forgotten. “Abraxas was a difficult man to get along with.” She frowned, staring down at the table. “That’s putting it lightly.” She corrected herself, looking up at Draco. “Abraxas truly believed in pureblood superiority, he raised Lucius to believe in that as well. It got worse; he became obsessed with purifying the wizarding world. Lucius followed his father, he was afraid of what would happen if he didn’t. Whether he actually believed in it at first or if he was doing it out of fear, I’ll never know.”

“That doesn’t make it better.” Draco said, fist clenched on top of the table, looking into his now empty cup of earl grey as if it was the most interesting thing in the room. Narcissa put her hand over his.

“I know, darling.” Before she could say anything else, Molly walked into the kitchen, Arthur right behind her.

“You two are up early,” Arthur said as he poured himself a cup of tea. He sat down at his usual spot at the table, grinning at the pair. He was, Draco thought, entirely too cheerful for being awake at sunrise.

“We aren’t quite settled in,” Narcissa said. “Sleeping in a new place can be difficult, you know?”

“Oh yes,” he nodded. “I remember when I was a first year at Hogwarts, I couldn’t sleep very well the first few weeks. The castle was too creaky, and I could hear the wind howling outside.”

“Exactly,” she nodded, smiling at Arthur. “Molly, would you like some help with breakfast?” Narcissa asked as she got up, putting her mug in the sink.

“That would be great, can you scramble eggs?” Molly was frying bacon in a cast iron skillet, a carton of eggs on the counter next to her.

“Of course,” Narcissa started cracking eggs into a bowl. Draco watched her whisk them together for a few moments before he also got up and put his mug in the sink. He really was not interested in making small talk with Arthur.

“I’m going for a walk.” He shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets, walking quickly out of the Burrow. Draco was relieved to feel the cool morning air, after what his mother said, the Burrow was too stuffy. He had to get away, if only for a few minutes. He walked down the dirt path, eyes fixed on the sky. The sun was just over the horizon, dew still clung to the tall grass and the fog had not yet disappeared in the morning sun. Had his father ever tried to break away from tradition? Did he ever think about defying Abraxas? Draco paused at the top of the hill and sat down, looking at sunrise. If he hadn’t done anything, he would have become just like his father. Did Lucius really believe in it all? Draco sighed and crossed his legs, resting his head on his hand.

At one point, he thought that blood purity was the most important thing. But that was before his father started disappearing for days at a time. Before Narcissa sat in the library, pretending to read so Lucius wouldn’t disturb her. If there was a time when his parents loved each other, Draco thought it must have been ages ago. Maybe before the first wizarding war, Lucius was a different man. Draco shook his head, as if he could simply rid himself of those thoughts. He got up suddenly, shoving his hands in his pockets as he turned around. There was no use dwelling on questions he would never have answers for. When he got back to the Burrow, he could hear Narcissa and Molly chatting in the kitchen.

Draco walked to the living room, relieved to see that nobody was in there. He sat down on the aging piano bench and opened the book of sheet music to a random page. If he just occupied himself, these thoughts would leave him. If he just kept his mind off of it he would forget, Draco decided. And with that, he began to play. His hands shook as he made his way through the familiar tune. When he missed the third note, Draco held his hands slightly above the keys, trying not to notice how hard they were shaking. He went through the measure again, cursing under his breath when he messed up.

“Having trouble?”

Draco nearly jumped out of his skin as he looked over his shoulder. Harry was leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed. His hair was still a rat’s nest, and Draco knew he hadn’t even bothered to brush it yet. He shut the piano lid and swung around to face Harry, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets.

“I’m just kind of distracted.” He shrugged, brushing some blonde hair behind his ear. “I thought playing would take my mind off things but I can’t seem to concentrate on anything.”

“Yeah?” Harry ran a hand through his hair, succeeding only in making his bed head worse. He walked into the room, choosing a plushy, faded red armchair to sit in. “How does that make you feel?” Harry steepled his fingers, putting on his best serious face.

“Like I need more tea before I can deal with this.” Draco quipped, rolling his eyes.

“Good, now we’re starting to make progress!” Harry stroked an imaginary beard. “Now we just need to get to the heart of your textbook narcissism and I’ll have truly earned my medical license.”

“I don’t think you need a license for bullshit, Harry.”

“How dare you! I didn’t go to eight years of school to be mocked by the likes of you.” He put his hand on his chest, shaking his head. “I’m not only shocked, I’m also flabbergasted.”

“Someone’s been reading, for once in their lives.”

“Ouch, that hurts Draco.” He crossed his arms, squinting at Draco. “You are such a git, you know that?”

“Takes one to know one, you stupid prat.” He rolled his eyes when Harry stuck his tongue out at him. It was times like these when Draco seriously questioned his life decisions. For Merlin’s sake, how in the world had he ended up here? In the Burrow, of all places, being friendly with Harry freaking Potter? He had this terrible feeling that his ancestors were rolling over in their graves.

“Breakfast is ready!” Molly shouted up the stairs. Her announcement was followed by the sound of the telltale thump of Ron literally rolling out of bed and the twins running down the stairs.

“Well, that’s our cue.” Harry got up, waiting for Draco to join them before they headed for the kitchen. They sat in their respective places at the table, waiting for the rest of the Weasley clan to find their way to the table. But they weren’t waiting for long as they rushed in, finding their seats quickly. It wasn’t long before eggs and bacon were making the rounds and glasses of orange juice were passed around. Draco dug into his eggs, trying to tune out the chaos that was the Weasley family.

“So, who’s looking forward to going back to Hogwarts?” Ginny asked, laughing when everyone groaned. “Come on, it’s not that bad.”

“Ginny, it’s school,” Fred looked as though he had eaten a lemon. “We have to learn, pay attention to teachers, and do homework.” He shivered at the thought. “Homework is the worst.”

“I’m still waiting for you to get to the bad part.” Hermione raised an eyebrow.

“I’m disowning you.” Fred narrowed his eyes at Hermione and she just smirked.

“I’d like to see you try.” They stared at each other for a few moments before Fred looked away.

“This isn’t over, Hermoninny.” He teased, sticking his tongue out at her. She just rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath about the stupidity of boys.

“So, realistically,” Ron bit his lip. “How important do you think summer assignments are?” He rubbed the back of his neck when Hermione glared at him. “I mean, in the grand scheme of things, how can we define ourselves by a letter grade?”

“Ronald, please tell me this is theoretical.” Hermione gave Ron a look of absolute murder; Draco honestly didn’t blame him when he shrank in his seat.

“In ten years will the grade I got on my potions essay really matter?” He stammered for a moment, staring at his plate. “Just keep that in mind while I’m asking you this.”

“Ronald Weasley, I will kill you so help me god.”

“Hermione, oh beautiful and wonderful Hermione,” Ron stammered. “Will you please help me write my potions essay?”

“No,” she said. “Absolutely not,” she crossed her arms. “You got yourself into this mess, you’ll get out of it the same way.”

“Please, Hermione, I’d like not to die on our first day back.”

“And I’d like to go one year without you almost flunking!”

“Ron, mate, I didn’t do it either.” Harry shot Ron a sheepish grin from across the table.

“You two are hopeless.” Hermione sighed. “Why do I even bother?”

“Oh, come on ‘Mione, you love us!” Ron grinned, winking at her.

“Right now I want to throttle you.”

“I could help you guys out,” Draco said. It was at that moment that Harry and Ron looked at him as if he was a godsend. “I already finished mine.”

“You’ll regret that.” Hermione told him, grinning in a way that seemed almost mischievous to Draco.

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“They are utterly hopeless when it comes to potions, you’ll be tearing your hair out in an hour, I guarantee it.”

“We’ll see.”

-

And, though he would never tell her, Draco found out all too late that Hermione was right.


	6. Harsh Realities and Warm Reunions

In theory, shopping in Diagon Alley for school supplies was a completely uncomplicated task. In practice however, Draco was finding it to be much more difficult.

“I can’t believe I am actually going shopping with the Weasleys.” Draco said, pacing back and forth in his room. Narcissa was reading on the bed, shaking her head at Draco every now and then. “This is ill advised, surely you know that?”

“What other choice do we have?” Narcissa held his gaze for a moment before turning a page. Draco stopped suddenly, pursing his lips and sitting on his bed.

“This is the part where we air our dirty laundry.”

“Something like that.” She sighed when her son didn’t reply. Draco started when she put her hand on his knee. “I don’t think there’s a way around it, dear.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready to face it.” He admitted, catching his mother’s eyes for only a moment.

“I remember when your father and I started being public about our relationship.” She started, speaking quietly, her thumb rubbing small circles on the back of Draco’s hand. “I was terrified, I thought everyone would tell me I didn’t deserve him, I was afraid that his parents would approve of me. But he stood by me, he didn’t give up on us.” Narcissa sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’re never ready for things like this, but life never gives us time to pause. I’ll be right beside you Draco, we’ll be okay.” She squeezed his hand and he nodded once. “But, darling,” he could hear the smile in her voice. “You can’t go out looking like that.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Draco smirked. “Hobo couture could be the new look, complete with unwashed hair.” He laughed with his mother, who squeezed his hand one last time before leaning back. Draco fiddled with his threadbare sleeves, pulling on a loose thread.

“Go take a shower, we’ve got shopping to do.” Narcissa said, making a shooing motion with her hands. “I’ll be waiting downstairs for you.” With that, she went to their door, opening it and making her way down the rickety stairs. Draco gathered some clothes together and went to go shower, trying not to dread the inevitable too much.

-

Draco was convinced that everyone in Diagon Alley was staring at them. He held his head high, and stepped closer to his new found friends. He walked next to Ron, who was chatting animatedly with Harry about racing brooms. Draco tuned out of the conversation, opting to observe the crowds of students and their families doing their back to school shopping. He had expected to be the talked about, had known that once the scandal of his parent’s divorce hit the papers everyone would be talking about them, but knowing was a different thing entirely than experiencing it. As they went into Flourish and Blotts, Draco got out his list of textbooks and led the way through the store. He had been in here many times, Lucius wanted his son to be well read after all; he couldn’t have an uneducated son running around.

 “I heard Narcissa Malfoy cheated on her husband.” Draco rolled his eyes at the gossip he heard at the other end of the aisle. “And he kicked her out.” Honestly, the two girls weren’t exactly trying to be quiet about it.

“No way! Do you think she was cheating on him with Arthur Weasley?” The other girl giggled.

“Why else would they be staying with the Weasleys?”

Draco tried to ignore their stares as he searched the shelves for their transfiguration textbook. He crouched down, finding it on the bottom shelf.

“I found it,” he said, handing out copies to everyone who needed one.

“I heard that all the Slytherins are Death Eaters now.” The girls started gossiping again, making no effort to be discreet. Draco’s hand faltered as he pulled a textbook out. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, counting to ten in his head. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Draco saw his mother’s manicured nails first and relaxed at her touch. Hermione stood on his left, staring the girls down at the end of the aisle.

“Let’s go find our other textbooks.” Hermione suggested and Draco was definitely in agreement. The group moved throughout the store and before long, they had all their textbooks. When they left the bookstore, Draco walked in the middle of the four, next Harry on his right and Hermione on his left.

“We sure know how to be scandalous.” Harry said. “I swear we just attract trouble.”

“You’d be bored without us, mate.” Ron nudged his friend, grinning.

“Or remarkably well adjusted.” Harry winked at him. “Just picture it: instead of sneaking around in an invisibility cloak with you enablers, I’d be doing my homework in the common room.”

“You’d go mad within an hour.” Hermione said.

“I’m not sure whether to be shocked or offended at your lack of faith in me.” Harry shook his head, still smiling.

“You know I’m right.”

“You’re always right, Hermione.”

“I’m glad you’ve come to terms with it.” She smirked. Draco was grateful for them, the three of them had no reason to trust him, and yet here they were. He’d have to ask them about that later, but now wasn’t the time to discuss the finer points of their friendship. Was it friendship? No, they weren’t friends. He was just their charity case.

“Who do you think the new DADA teacher will be?” Draco asked, trying to out of his head for at least a few minutes.

“Maybe Dumbledore will finally make Snape the new professor.” Harry said it with an expression that looked like he had eaten a lemon.

“I doubt it, Snape is probably always going to be the potions professor.” Ron shrugged. “Unless Dumbledore came to his senses and finally fired that git.”

“Maybe he’d like you more if you paid attention in class.” Hermione shot both the boys a look, frowning at them. Draco thought Hermione would make a good teacher. She’d probably give McGonagall’s legendary frown a run for its money.

“Oh please, he’d only like us better if we were in Slytherin.” Harry insisted.

“It’s true,” Draco nodded. “He prefers us, I mean, he doesn’t get on Millicent Bulstrode, and she’s about as bad as Longbottom at potions.”

“I told you!”

“Oh please, you just want an excuse not to pay attention in class.” She crossed her arms, glaring at the boys.

“I’d be lying if I denied that.” Harry said. That was how the afternoon passed, they did their best to ignore the gossips and pointed fingers, but it wasn’t easy. More than once the group overheard some more of their ridiculous rumors, which grew more unbelievable by the hour. Draco almost laughed at the rumor that said he and Harry had a secret romance. In just a few days they had to return to Hogwarts, Draco hoped he was ready. When they returned to the Burrow, there was an owl waiting for them. He recognized Pansy’s black and white great horned owl and he did not relish the thought of reading her letter.

He and Pansy had been friends since they were children and she probably had a few choice words for him in the letter. Draco was thankful it wasn’t a howler, he didn’t fancy getting yelled at by his best friend after they day they’d had. He took it into his study and broke the wax seal carefully before settling down to read the letter. Draco was surprised by the lack of profanity as his eyes scanned the page. And, remarkably, there were only a few words crossed out; he figured those were the majority of her swearing. He had been hesitant to contact his old friends; he thought they wouldn’t want to be friends anymore. But all Pansy talked about was how concerned she was for him, how she had heard rumors about his parent’s divorce.

He took the letter upstairs and got out some parchment, a quill, and an inkpot to write her back. Her owl, Titus, was still waiting to take back Draco’s reply. Titus sat on his windowsill, pecking at the window every once in a while. Draco told her about the divorce and about Narcissa’s friendship with Molly, told her about his tentative friendship with the golden trio. He wanted to see her, but Draco knew that her parents wouldn’t let her associate with him now. When he finished writing it, he sealed it with wax and gave it to Titus, who flew off as soon as he had the letter. Draco watched him fly until he was a small dot on the horizon and then shut the window, walking over to his bed. He knew that he had to get his trunk together, but he figured he could afford a nap.

-

The meeting with Lucius and his lawyer was everything Draco expected. This was their last meeting; today they were making it official. Draco and Narcissa would no longer be Malfoys; he tried not to dwell on the fact that the Malfoy name would die with his father. He had not right to be sad, isn’t this what he wanted? He wanted to come out from other his father’s shadow; he didn’t want to be a Death Eater. This was the price Draco had to pay for his freedom.

“Do you have any last things you want to add?” Narcissa’s lawyer asked her as he handed her the paperwork and quill. His mother shook her head, reading it over one last time before she signed her name. Draco did the same and passed it back to Lucius’ lawyer. His father wouldn’t even look at him. Draco had expected his father to look different, regretful, or sad at least. But his father was immaculate as ever, a carefully neutral expression on his face. His father signed it and handed it back to his lawyer. The lawyer in question passed Narcissa a copy of the paperwork. “Well, I guess we’re done here.”

Without hesitation, Lucius stood up, sparing one last glance for his former wife and child. Narcissa put her head in her hands, breathing deeply. She still wore her platinum wedding ring and emerald engagement ring on her finger. Draco wanted to scream at his father, wanted to beg him to come back. The room was too small for him; he had to get out of there.

“I’ll be outside.” He told his mother, who nodded slightly. Draco rushed out of the room, feeling lightheaded as he walked down the tiled hallway.

“You could’ve been great, you know.” His father said, leaning against one of the walls. Draco stopped in his tracks, staring at Lucius. “You always showed so much potential, you could have contributed so much to our cause.” When Draco didn’t say anything, Lucius sighed. “Tongue tied as always, I see. You never could speak your mind.” He chuckled. “Such a well behaved boy.”

“I could never do what you’ve done.” Draco clenched his fists. “I still have a conscience.”

“Careful, boy,” his father smirked at him. “I’d hate for this to get ugly.”

“What will you do? Kill me in the middle of the day, in plain sight of Ministry officials?”

“Oh please, give me some credit.”

“I don’t have to, your ego is already big enough.” Draco almost laughed at Lucius’ horrified expression. They stood in silence for a few moments, Draco wanted to run, he wanted to yell at Lucius, he wanted to make him see the truth. “Did you ever love us?”

“This is not a matter I wish to discuss publicly.”

“If not here, where?” He met Lucius’ eyes briefly. The man in question sighed but didn’t walk away.

“I’ve always wanted what was best for you.” He said carefully, his mouth a thin line. “And…” he trailed off, looking at the tile. “Well, your mother already knows.” There was wistfulness in his voice that Draco had never heard before. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to attend to.” He nodded at his son once, “Good day, Mr. Black.”

“And to you, Mr. Malfoy.” Draco watched him go, his black and silver robes billowing behind him. He knew his father must have had a spell to do that; Lucius always had a flair for the dramatic. He turned, hearing his mother’s heels click on the tile floor.

“Ready to go, darling?” She asked him, eyes red. Narcissa’s cheeks were still slightly puffy, though she had done her best to conceal the fact that she had been crying. Draco nodded and held his arm out for her. She took it and they walked out of the ministry together. The Daily Prophet had caught wind of his parent’s divorce; he had been expecting reporters when they exited the ministry. But the sheer amount of them was a surprise. The cameras flashed as they walked out the door, reporters shouting questions at them as they pushed through the crowd. To his credit, Draco managed not to insult them. But that didn’t stop him from glaring at the crowd that had gathered. When they finally lost them, Narcissa apparated them to the Burrow. Titus was waiting for them and gave Draco another letter from Pansy.

“How did it go?” Molly asked as they walked into the house. Narcissa didn’t say anything and instead opted to hug Molly. Draco could hear his mother’s sharp intake of breath. “It’s alright Narcissa.” Molly rubbed her back.

“I’ll be upstairs.” Draco told them as he made his way to the narrow staircase. As he walked up the stairs, he faltered at the first landing, gripping the railing tightly.

“Why doesn’t he love me anymore?” Narcissa’s trembling voice broke the silence. He closed his eyes, lip trembling. He didn’t hear Molly’s reply, was too busy getting up the stairs as quickly as possible. When he finally sat on his bed, he held Pansy’s letter in shaking hands. Draco opened it, only wanting to get out of his head for a while. He smiled when he saw Pansy’s scratched out curse words. Tomorrow they would see each other again, and Draco couldn’t wait to see her after what seemed to be the eternity they had spent apart. Usually, they spent weeks together on vacations. At the very least they’d be sending letters. But this summer had been unlike any other Draco had experienced. He anticipated this whole school year would be different, but that was okay. Draco wrote her a reply and gave it to Titus before settling on his bed, picking up a book he had read many times before. Its bent spine and dog-eared pages were familiar to him, something he needed now more than ever.

-

 The first thing he saw when he came into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was Pansy, who had been, evidently, waiting for him. He opened his arms and she walked into them, clutching his gray sweater.

“You are the biggest idiot I’ve ever met in my life.” She told him, sounding very matter of fact about it. He laughed, resting his chin on the top of her head. Behind him came Harry and Ron, followed by the Hermione and the rest of the Weasley family. She stepped away from him, smoothing down her shirt. “I’m having a hard time picturing you being friends with the golden trio, to be honest.” Pansy commented as Harry slung his arm around Draco’s shoulders. “But obviously you charmed them somehow.”

“I am a charming man,” he winked at her. Pansy groaned, muttering under her breath about the stupidity of boys.

“This is the man I’ve chosen to be my best friend.”

“You have impeccable taste.”

“I hate you so much.” Pansy said, no real heat behind the words as she grabbed the handle of her trunk’s trolley. “Come on, Blaise is saving us a spot.”

“Can the Gryffindorks come?” Draco asked.

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” She said, clearly questioning her life choices. Draco nodded before looking for his mother, who was standing a few feet behind him. She walked up to him and hugged him; it took Draco a moment to return the hug. He wasn’t used to such obvious displays of affection from his parents. Not that he was complaining, mind you.

“Be careful, Draco, many people in your house may not agree with your views. But I know that your friends will help you.” Narcissa pulled back, her hands on his shoulders. “Don’t forget to write to me.” She smiled at him before pulling him back for a huge one last time. “I love you.”

“I love you too, mother.” He murmured. “I’ll be sure to write, don’t worry about me.” When his mother pulled back once more, she wiped her eyes.

“I will always worry, darling.” Narcissa stepped away from him. “Now go, have a good year.”

“Bye,” he said, turning on his heel. Ron and his siblings were still being fussed over by Molly, but Harry and Hermione stood with Pansy. Well, they were a couple of feet apart, staring at each other in silence, but Draco would call it progress. He made his way over to them and stood next to Pansy, waiting for Molly to let her children join them. A few minutes later, a red-faced Ron joined them.

“Alright, follow me.” Pansy wasted no time making her way to the Hogwarts Express. It was easier than previous years to get to the train, mostly because people seemed to part for them as they passed. It was an enjoyable side benefit to being the talk of the Wizarding World. Pansy led them to the back of the train, finally opening a compartment. They put their luggage above the compartment, locking it away until later. Blaise sat alone, much to Draco’s surprise. He had expected Crabbe and Goyle to be there, but then again, they might have been transferred to Durmstrang. It was probably more likely; he knew that their families were big supporters of Voldemort.

“It’s good to see you Draco.” Blaise stood up to hug Draco briefly before sitting down by the window again.

“I’m glad to see you.” He told his old friend, eyes flickering to his left arm.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t taken it yet.” Blaise answered Draco’s unspoken question. “Neither has Pansy, we’re both not sure how to tell our families.”

“Well, we know how my mother would take it.” Pansy said, scowling at the thought. “I’d get a howler and be disowned.”

“It’s not so bad.” Draco shrugged. “I mean, it sucks, but it’s not the end of the world.”

“Speaking of,” Pansy hit his arm hard. “I can’t believe you didn’t think to tell me about that!”

“Ow,” he rubbed his arm. “I know, I’m sorry, I had a lot on my mind.”

“Literally all you had to do was send me a letter. You didn’t forget to write, did you?” She teased him, hitting his arm again.

“It all turned out okay, didn’t it?”

“Don’t you dare try to get out of this! From now on, there are no secrets between us, got that?”

“Then I guess I should come clean about my undying love for you.” Draco said as seriously as he could, somehow managing to have a straight face. They looked at each for a few moments before she started giggling.

“You’re such an idiot.” Pansy rolled her eyes.

“I know.” He grinned at her before looking at the others. “So here’s the thing, you guys don’t have to be friendly to me anymore, I’ve got Blaise and Pansy. But if you want to be friendly with me, then we’re all going to have to get along. I’m not choosing between you lot. Can we be civil with each other, or not?”

“That depends,” Ron glared at Pansy. “Will she behave?”

“Only if you’re tolerable.” She shot back, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Then it’s settled.” Draco said quickly before anyone could change their mind. It was quiet in the compartment for a few minutes. Blaise and Draco watched the fields pass by. Pansy was fiddling with her hair, braiding and unbraiding it. Hermione kept looking at all of them, quietly observing the group. Harry and Ron were looking at each other; Draco thought they must have been in a staring contest.

“I think this is one of the strangest things that’s happened to me.” Hermione said finally, breaking the silence. “And that’s saying a lot.” Everyone laughed at her comment and some of the tension in the room eased. Pansy tried to talk to Hermione about celebrity gossip, which led to Pansy sharing a gossip magazine with her. Draco would have felt bad for Hermione, who was obviously out of her depth, if she didn’t look like she was enjoying it. Blaise was talking to Harry and Ron about quidditch, which Draco had expected. Draco leaned his head against the back of the seat, closing his eyes. He wanted to get a nap in before they got to Hogwarts, but if the noise his friends were making was any indication, he knew that he wouldn’t be getting any sleep.

“Don’t you think she’d look good with short hair, Draco?” Pansy asked him, elbowing him out of sleepiness. She had put Hermione’s hair behind her shoulders.

“I think she’d look fine with any hairstyle.” Before he could think, he had already said it. Pansy smirked at him, waggling her eyebrows. He met Hermione’s eyes briefly before looking away again, trying not to blush. Trying being the operative word. Before Draco could say anything more, Pansy was already talking a mile a minute, talking about some celebrity scandal. Looking at his friends trying to get along with the new additions to the group was both amusing and reassuring. Maybe, Draco thought, this year wouldn’t be so bad after all. But that was just wishful thinking; after all, their fifth year had only begun.


	7. The First Week of Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guys, please don't repost my work anywhere else.

If the gossip surrounding the Golden Trio’s new friends wasn’t already making the rounds, Draco was sure the rumor mill would explode as soon as they walked into the Great Hall together. They waved at each other as they went to their separate tables. Pansy, Blaise, and Draco all sat together. When he looked up, Draco saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting on the opposite side of the Gryffindor table. Harry waved at him and he returned the gesture. Dumbledore stepped up to his podium once all the students filed in, holding up his wand to his throat.

“Welcome back everyone for another year at Hogwarts!” Applause met his words, along with some whooping from the Gryffindor table. Draco suspected the twins. “This year, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is none other than Dolores Umbridge.” He points to a woman dressed all in pink, who stands to significantly less applause than Dumbledore’s first announcement. Draco saw Harry whisper something to Hermione, who then glared at the new professor. “As usual, Mr. Filch has asked that I,” he stopped abruptly at the sound of Umbridge clearing her throat. She got up and walked in front of Dumbledore’s podium, holding a wand up to her throat.

“Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome.” She smiled at the Hogwarts students. “It’s so wonderful to see all of your bright, smiling faces. I’m sure we’re all going to be very good friends.”

“She sounds like a preschool teacher.” Pansy whispered in his ear. Draco struggled not to laugh, nudging Pansy with his elbow. He heard her whisper it to Blaise, who covered his mouth with one hand, chuckling a bit.

“We’ll keep things that should be prohibited, prohibited.” She finished her speech, giggling a little at the end. It took all of Draco’s willpower not to roll his eyes. When Umbridge sat down again, Dumbledore finished his speech. When food finally appeared on the table, the students made short work of it pretty quickly.

“With Crabbe and Goyle gone our room will be practically empty.” Blaise commented as they walked to the dungeons after the feast.

“Yes, and a lot quieter.” Draco said. When they got to the common room, Draco and Blaise went to the boy’s dorms while Pansy and Millicent went to the girl’s dorms. Their trunks were already in their room at the foot of their beds. Draco got some pajamas out of his, carefully folding up his school uniform before going to bed.

“I have a wager.” Blaise said as Draco pulled back the covers. Blaise was staring out the windows. On one side of the room was a wall of windows that gave the boys a view of the lake underwater.

“I’m listening.”

“I bet that it’ll only take a day for the pranks to start.”

“I bet a week.” Draco said, getting in bed and pulling the covers up to his chest. “What do I get if I win?”

“Five sickles,” Blaise said.

“That’s weak, my friend.”

“Five sickles and a chocolate chip cookie from the kitchens.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear.” Draco nodded. “If you win I’ll carry your book bag for two days.”

“It’s a deal.”

-

The next morning as they walked to class, the Golden Trio caught up to them quickly.

“Maybe we have some classes together,” Harry said, taking Draco’s schedule. He compared it to his quickly before handing it to Ron. “We have potions and DADA together.”

“Potions, DADA, and charms.” Ron said as he gave it to Hermione.

“Potions, astronomy, DADA, and ancient runes.” Hermione said before handing it back to Draco.

“Pansy, give me your schedule.” Harry said, holding his hand out. Pansy narrowed her eyes at him before handing it over slowly. “Potions, herbology, and charms.” He gave it to Ron.

“Potions, herbology, care of magical creatures, DADA, and charms.” Ron said, not seeming particularly pleased at the development. Pansy rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath along the lines of ‘bloody git’.

“Potions, DADA, and astronomy.” Hermione said, giving Pansy back her schedule.

“Alright Blaise, you know the drill.” Harry scanned the piece of paper quickly. “Potions and DADA.” He shrugged and gave it to Ron.

“Potions and DADA,” Ron said.

“Potions, DADA, and ancient runes.” Hermione handed the paper back to Blaise, who folded it before putting it in his pocket.

“It’s not surprising, honestly.” Draco commented. “I mean, Gryffindors and Slytherins usually have class together. I think it’s some sort of sick, twisted Hogwarts tradition.”

“Maybe Dumbledore wants to torture us.” Pansy nudged Draco, winking.

“If so, then he can cross it off his list.” Draco nodded, pleased when the group laughed. They walked into the classroom together, sitting in the same row in the back of the room.

“I would’ve thought that you’d want to sit in front, Hermione.” Blaise said as he got out his notebook, quill, inkpot, and summer essay.

“Normally yes,” Hermione said as she put her hair up in a bun. “But I’d rather be back here if we’re all going to sit together. It’s less noticeable this way.”

“Hermione, are you embarrassed of us?” Pansy raised an eyebrow. “I’ll have you know that I’m an excellent potion maker.”

“Pansy you turned your face purple last year when your potion exploded.”

“That was one time you absolute pancake!” She hit Draco with her notebook. “How long are you going to hold that over me?” She grumbled, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

“Until the Tuesday after eternity.” He smirked when she sighed dramatically.

“I’m not embarrassed of you guys,” Hermione said. “Snape might pick on us less back here. After all, he has to make more effort to see any disastrous potions we might make.”

“You make a good point.” Pansy nodded. The rest of their classmates filed in, shooting them a confused look as they passed the group. Snape practically slammed the door behind him, black robes billowing (as usual) behind him.

“Pass your summer essays forward.” Snape commanded as he wrote ‘invigoration draught” on the blackboard. When all the assignments were gathered at the front row, Snape took them from a Gryffindor student and put them on his desk. “Open your books to page one hundred and five.” He said, not even waiting until everyone had found the page to begin his lecture. By the end of the class, only a few students had been insulted by the stern professor. Thankfully, it was nobody Draco cared about. Everyone in his group managed to get the potion right. Draco let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding when Snape deemed his potion acceptable. At the end of class, he rushed out of the dungeon, eager to go their next class. The first day of class was uneventful, which was a good thing in Draco’s book. The next morning, however, would prove to be both terrible and lively.

-

Compared to their previous DADA professors, Umbridge seemed to be relatively dull. Then again, the last one was Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise and the one before him was a werewolf. Maybe it would do them all some good to have a normal DADA class. After half an hour of reading the textbook, Harry raised his hand.

“Yes?” Umbridge asked, her usual forced smile in its place.

“Professor, why are we just reading from the text book?” He asked. “There are really bad things out there and we need to be prepared.”

“What would want to hurt a young student such as yourself?”

“Oh I don’t know, maybe Voldemort.” He snapped, glaring at the professor.

“His so called return is just a rumor, dear boy.” And though she was still smiling, her voice was cold. “He-who-must-not-be-named is dead.”

“That’s a lie and you know it.” Harry crossed his arms, still scowling at Umbridge.

“We can discuss this after class Mr. Potter, in detention. Until then I won’t hear another word of it.”

“But,” Harry began, stopping when Hermione kicked him in the shin. Draco sighed, leaning over to whisper in Harry’s ear.

“Tell me if she’s got anything weird in her office.” He requested, chuckling when Harry rolled his eyes at him. “I’m talking anything from framed pictures of the minister to cats with sweaters.”

“I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Good man,” Draco clapped him on the back before going back to reading the textbook.

-

When Harry showed up to dinner with a bandage covering his right hand, Draco was suspicious to say the least. After dinner they went to the library together to do some homework. But when anyone asked Harry what happened to his hand, he quickly changed the subject. But, just like he said he would, Harry told Draco about Umbridge’s completely pink office. It was fascinating, in a morbid sort of way. Certain promises were made regarding study sessions as they said goodnight to the Gryffindors.

“Well, Blaise,” Draco said as he got into bed. “It looks like you lose the wager.”

“We’ll see if you win in the end.” He retorted. “We could both lose.”

“I doubt it,” Draco smirked. “I’m better at making wagers than you.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“Shut up Blaise.”


	8. The Mysterious Case of the Gryffindor Pranksters

It started the next Monday with Draco pouring the last of the invisible ink out of his inkpots. He cursed under his breath, dreading all the notes he’d have to re-copy for his ancient runes class. It was a good thing that he had class with Hermione; at least he’d still be able to pass. Draco put the now empty inkpots back into his bag and practically jogged down the hallway, trying to get to the dungeons in time. He got in and sat in his chair right before Snape walked in.

“Pansy, can I borrow an inkpot.” He whispered to his friend as he got out his parchment and quill.

“Don’t tell me you already ran out.” She raised an eyebrow as she got a spare one out for him. “What did you do, spill it on something?”

“No, someone replaced it with invisible ink and I found out after ancient runes.”

“You poor man,” she patted his back.

“Today we will be learning the importance of memorization. Turn to page two hundred and ten.” Snape instructed. Draco opened his textbook, seeing the recipe for a calming draught. “You have five minutes to memorize the recipe, after that you and your partner must make the potion completely from memory.” Some students groaned in reply. “Why are we doing this? Because I think it will be amusing.”

“He would think it would be funny to watch us fail miserably.” Draco heard Ron mutter. He struggled not to laugh, Harry didn’t have the same difficulty.

“Be my partner,” Pansy nudged him.

“I thought you’d never ask.” He said. “If you memorize the directions I’ll memorize the amount of stuff we need.”

“You got it,” she replied quietly, eyes still glued to the textbook page.

“Alright, get going.” Snape said, breaking the silence.

“Okay genius, what do we need?”

“Dried lavender flowers, phoenix feathers, centaur hair, water, and rosemary essential oil.” He listed the ingredients, hoping he hadn’t forgotten anything. Pansy went to get it while Draco prepared their cauldron and got out a cutting board and small knife. “What do we do first, brilliant friend of mine?”

“First, bring the water to a rolling boil.” She instructed. And, with her help, by the end of class they had somehow managed to get a finished product that even Snape approved of. It was a miracle, Draco supposed. The second thing that happened was when Blaise’s hand got stuck to his goblet at lunch.

“Well, my unlucky friend,” Draco said when Hermione finally got Blaise’s hand free. “It looks like you owe me some money and a chocolate chip cookie.”

“Looks like,” he sighed. “You win this time Draco.”

“As always,” Draco smirked. The third thing that happened was signaled with Pansy screeching in the early hours of morning. He jumped out of bed, followed by Blaise. “I guess we should go see what’s wrong.”

“She probably forgot her favorite shade of nail polish at home.” Blaise ran a hand through his hair, glaring at everything. Blaise had never been a morning person. When they got to the common room, Pansy was holding a detached ponytail of hair in her hands.

“Pansy what’s wrong?”

“Some jackass cut off my hair.” She snapped, holding up the ponytail. Pansy turned her head before looking back at the boys. “Who would do this?”

“Someone with a death wish.” Draco said, chuckling at the thought of Pansy strangling the perpetrator with her shorn hair.

“I’m going to find who did this and we’re going to have a very nice chat.” She snapped, scowling at the hair. “Until then, I’m going to need a hat. This weekend I’ll be getting a very nice haircut.” Pansy nodded. “I will get my revenge.”

“Of course.”

-

It was this series of events that led them to a hairdresser in Hogsmeade that Saturday. Since Tuesday, Pansy had been looking through every magazine she could get her hands on to find a new hairstyle. And then of course, she had Draco vote on which ones he liked more. And now it was up to the hairdresser to decide between their final two. Draco sat between Hermione, who was studying, and Blaise, who was doing the crossword in the Daily Prophet. Draco turned his attention back to his charms textbook.

“This is just rubbish.” Harry muttered, setting aside the main page of the Daily Prophet.

“What’s wrong, mate?” Ron asked. Without a word, Harry gave him what he had been reading.

“What’s it say?” Hermione asked, leaning over to read with him. “Could the boy who lived be crying wolf?” She read the title of the article. “Don’t listen to them, Harry, they’re all full of it.”

“Yeah, besides, we know you’re telling the truth.” Ron clapped Harry on the back. “And the opinion of some random reporter doesn’t really matter.”

“It’s not even the top story.” Draco said. “So clearly the sordid love affairs of pureblood families are more important than what this dumb reporter thinks.” He nodded. Hermione put the newspaper back in the rack on the wall. When she got back, she nudged Harry, smiling. He shrugged and leaned his head on her shoulder. Thankfully, the group didn’t have to wait much longer, because Pansy came practically skipping into the room. Her new pixie cut looked cute, Draco thought. And by the grin on her face, Pansy must’ve felt the same; which meant that they at least wouldn’t have to listen to her complain about her new hair. If Draco had to hear another scheme about finding the prankster, he would hex Pansy into oblivion.

“Looks good, Pans,” Blaise said, ruffling her hair.

“Don’t touch it you oaf!” She protested, swatting at his hand. Pansy paid the hairdresser and they walked out of the salon together. “What should we do next?”

“We could always go to the Three Broomsticks.” Ron suggested.

“Sounds good to me.” Harry said.

“Then it’s decided, I’ll pay, since you all had to sit and wait for my hair to be done.” Pansy said.

“Alright everyone, get the most expensive thing on the menu.” Draco said, smirking. He ducked when Pansy tried to smack him. “Fool me once,” he winked at her. She rolled her eyes. It was good to have at least some sort of normalcy back.

-

The fourth unfortunate thing that happened was when Draco found all of his things glued to the floor. It took half an hour to get it all unstuck, during that time Draco learned that he owned way more books than he thought. A decision he now regretted. So when they ate dinner that night, he was all aboard the train to discover the prankster.

“So who would dislike us enough to do this?” Blaise asked. “Besides the obvious suspects.”

“Like half of Gryffindor house?” Draco mused. “Yes, who else would want to do this?”

“Maybe they paid someone.” Pansy suggested. They talked about it all through dinner but couldn’t come up with anything. By the time they were heading back to their dorms, Draco had almost completely given up on finding the perpetrators.

-

It wasn’t until the fifth thing that Draco figured it out. Someone had spiked Blaise’s pumpkin juice, and now he was hopelessly in love with a rather unfortunate Draco.

“How have I never noticed how attractive you are now that you’re out of your hair gel phase?”

“Blaise, I swear I will cut off my hair if you talk about it one more time.”

“That wouldn’t do, our babies would be hideous!” Blaise exclaimed, much to the amusement of Pansy, who laughed like mad for about the tenth time that morning. When they were walking to class, the twins passed by, winking.

“Congratulations on the new husband, Draco.” They said in unison. Draco paused, suddenly realizing who did it, simultaneously fearing the fate of the mischievous twins. After he convinced Snape to give him the antidote to the love potion, he got the three of them together in the library.

“It was the Weasley twins,” he stated. “Pansy, what do you want to do for revenge?”

“Hmm…” She pursed her lips. “Do you think we could convince Ron to put a doctored hair dye in their shampoo?”

“I like how you think.” Draco nodded. And that was how Pansy and Ron brought about the blue haired twins who were now walking into the Great Hall. Draco nudged the mastermind behind the prank, who cracked up at their appearance. Soon the whole Great Hall was in stitches as Fred and George realized what happened. “How long will it stay like that?”

“At least a few days.” Pansy said.

“You are an excellent evil mastermind.”

“I know, Draco dear.” And, honestly, it was a hilarious sort of karma.


	9. The Great Ministry Conspiracy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, back to the plot! I hope y'all enjoyed that last happy chapter, now prepare yourselves for seriousness.

Draco was starting to think that Umbridge had some sort of personal vendetta against Harry. She gave him detention for anything and everything, from forgetting to bring a quill to class to speaking before being spoken to. It was like she took personal offense to his very existence; and, naturally, no one in the group was too happy about that. At least the endless amount of textbook reading gave Draco a chance to finish the chapters early and work on his other homework in class; ancient runes in particular was his hardest class and they were only a few weeks into the school year. Everyone was bogged down with schoolwork, which was how they found themselves in the library for the third time that week.

"I give up," Ron put down his quill. "Homework is awful and I've decided to never do it again."

"Oh?" Hermione raised an eyebrow. "And what do you plan to do if you're expelled for poor grades?"

"You have a point," he admitted. "Say, Harry," he nudged the boy next to him. "How much do you think shop clerks make?"

"Oh, I don't know," he shrugged. "Not enough to stop the rage of Molly Weasley."

"She would be furious," he nodded. "Fine, I'll do it if I must."

"You should beware knorlacs," a soft voice chimed in. Draco looked up, raising an eyebrow at a girl standing next to a bookshelf by their study table. "They tend to eat thoughts, very troublesome if you're trying to do homework." When nobody answered, she smiled and pulled a book off the shelf. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

"Hi," Harry said. "I'm Harry."

"I know." She said brightly. "I didn't realize you all studied here. I usually come to this part of the library, it's quieter here."

"It's quiet everywhere," Pansy scoffed, "That's the whole point of a library."

"Yes, but nobody wants to study right next to the restricted section."

"She has a point," Ron nodded.

"Would you like to study with us?" Hermione asked, glaring at Pansy when she opened her mouth to protest. Luckily, Pansy was a big believer in self-preservation and didn't say anything.

"Oh, well I'm already studying with my friend."

"She can come, if she likes."

"I'll ask her." She spun on her heel and Draco watched the tall blonde disappear behind another bookcase.

"We kind of took her spot." Hermione said. "It's only polite."

"Don't be ridiculous." Pansy rolled her eyes, muttering something about stupid Gryffindors under her breath. But before Hermione could reply, Luna had returned with a familiar Weasley in tow.

"I didn't know you had a friend." Ron teased as Ginny pulled up a chair.

"I never thought you'd pass your fourth year," she quipped, "And yet." Ginny smirked at her brother. Draco looked back down at his essay, chuckling. When they left the library for dinner, Draco was satisfied that he wouldn't fail all of his classes. The status of his ancient runes grade was another matter entirely. Thankfully, it was Friday and he planned to forget all about the horrors of class and drown his sorrows with firewhisky. Blaise was a dear and had managed to sneak some past the Slytherin prefects; how he had done it, Draco didn't know. And to be frank, he didn't care about the how and why, all he cared about was the hangover he was going to have after the weekend. The Great Hall was buzzing by the time they got to their table. When Draco looked at Pansy for an explanation, she only shrugged.

"Everyone, may I have your attention?" Dumbledore held his wand up to his throat to amplify it. After a few moments, the students fell mostly quiet. "Our very own Dolores Umbridge has an announcement." He motioned to the woman, clad today in various shades of magenta. She was, as always, eye searing.

"How delightful to see all of you again." She giggled before clearing her throat. "The Ministry has become very concerned with the state of education at Hogwarts. So, the Minister has appointed me the Hogwarts High Inquisitor." Umbridge smiled at the crowd. The Great Hall was abuzz once more, everyone whispering about the newest development. "I will make sure that everyone gets the best education, my first act is to ban spell-checking quills. You should know how to spell already, I won't allow any of you to use a crutch here."

"She is unbelievable," Pansy rolled her eyes. "Is she actually serious?" She stared at Umbridge as she continued her speech.

"I think she's being serious." Draco whispered. "God save us, she's really gone insane."

"At least we have firewhisky to dull the pain of this newest insanity." Blaise elbowed Draco in the ribs.

"Please tell me you have some on you right now."

"Sadly, no," he sighed.

"That sucks, I was hoping you could just pour some in my pumpkin juice."

"Draco you sly dog," he chuckled, punching the blonde's arm. "Unfortunately we have to wait until this windbag is finished."

"Furthermore, any consumption of illegal or illicit substances is hereby forbidden. Any student caught with things such as alcohol or drugs will be expelled immediately."

"Oh boo," Pansy said, "There goes our weekend."

"She can't expel us if she can't find the firewhisky." Blaise said. "After the week we've had, I am not giving up our booze."

"Secret booze party?" Pansy suggested.

"I thought you'd never ask."

-

That was how Draco found himself sitting in a room he never knew existed in the castle with his new friends, plus Ginny and Luna. Apparently, Dobby had told Harry about it: the room of requirement. It was perfect, Umbridge couldn't get in and as far as he knew, nobody else was even aware of it. They were sitting in a circle on cushions, wrapped up in blankets as they passed a bottle of firewhisky around the circle. A fire roared behind them in the fireplace. The room was small and cozy; Draco could almost pretend the events of the week were far away from them.

"Umbridge is so dumb," Pansy laughed. She cleared her throat before continuing with a high-pitched mockery of Umbridge's voice. "Oh children I love you all! I hope you can look past my horrible fashion sense and obsession with the Minister and get to like me, even though I look like a toad and act like a bloody idiot!" She laughed when the group clapped at her impersonation. "Thank you! I'll be here all night."

"We'll all be here all night, that's why we're spending the night." Luna pointed out. Pansy rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Draco elbowed his best friend, motioning to Ginny and Luna. Ginny and Luna were cuddled up together under the same blanket, and Ginny had the most love struck expression he had seen on anyone since Hagrid had pined after Madam Maxime.

"Look at those two," he whispered. "Young love at its finest."

"Oh please," Pansy snorted. "It's not quite as sickening as your crush on Hermione."

"That is ridiculous."

"Just like your face." She slurred slightly, giggling.

"You're drunk."

"I'm not drunk enough for this." She winked. Draco rolled his eyes before looking away from her. He was very aware of the fact that Hermione was next to him; he hoped she hadn't heard what Pansy had said. Even if it weren't the least bit true, he'd never live down the embarrassment. But she was talking to Ron, so Draco figured he was safe.

"We should do something about her." Harry finally said. He had barely spoken since dinner, and nobody wanted to push him. "Umbridge, I mean."

"What do you propose?"

"Surely the Order of the Phoenix could do something." He nodded.

"The what?" Blaise asked.

"It's this secret society, Dumbledore started it during the last war to fight against You-Know-Who." Hermione said. "They've been on the alert since the rumors started again."

"So what could they do? It's not like Umbridge is breaking the law." Draco said.

"I don't know," Harry sighed. "I just don't like her having so much power."

"Maybe Sirius has an idea." Ron suggested.

"Sirius who?"

"Sirius Black," Harry said. "I guess I never told you guys anything about that." He looked at the three Slytherins, who were leaning in closer to the circle. "Sirius Black was never executed, he's with the Order of the Phoenix. And he never betrayed my parents, Peter Pettigrew did that and he's not dead either."

"Well then," Draco said. "That's just delightful, but what makes you think the Ministry will listen to the opinions of a bunch of old You-Know-Who conspirators who are harboring a wanted criminal?"

"I don't know," he grumbled before taking a swig off the bottle. "I just wish we could do something."

"Maybe we can do something." Hermione said. "Well, not about Umbridge exactly but." She stammered a little as the group looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate. "We're not learning anything in DADA, and we know that things are getting bad out there. With Umbridge on her little power trip, we could have our own DADA classes in secret."

"That would only give her more reasons to make ridiculous rules." Pansy said. "It sounds nice but it would never work."

"Why not?" Hermione insisted. "We have this room, we know that people are afraid of what's out there, and we have someone that's faced You-Know-Who before." She looked at Harry.

"Are you saying I should teach it?"

"Yes!"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not smarter than any of you. You should teach it, Hermione, you're brilliant."

"I am," she said. "But I don't have the practical application you do."

"I've only faced him once or twice."

"That's why we need you, you know what it's like. We need to know how to defend ourselves if we have to ever face… V-Voldemort." She stuttered the last part of the sentence, clearing her throat. "At least consider it."

"I will." He promised. They sat in silence for a few minutes, all of them in various states of drunkenness and thinking about what Hermione had proposed. It wasn't a bad idea, Draco thought. After what he had done, there were plenty of people who wanted to kill him, his father included on that list.

"This is too serious for me." Pansy declared. "Let's play a game!" She pulled a deck of cards out of the blanket. Draco briefly wondered where they had come from before he remembered that they were sitting in the room of requirement. The group turned its focus on her as she shuffled the deck. "It's called king's cup and it's really fun!"

"Last time we played you declared yourself queen of the bed and made us sleep on the floor." Blaise said, "I'm not ready for that kind of commitment."

"Come on Blaise," she pouted. "Don't be a party pooper."

"I'm just saying it's a bad idea."

"Paging doctor buzz kill to the ICU," she booed him.

"I am not doctor buzz kill!"

"Prove it!"

"You are so on, Pansy."

"How does this work, exactly?" Hermione asked.

"Let's play and find out." Pansy laughed. Draco shrugged and pulled a card from the deck. If he was gonna get a hangover, Draco figured he could at least have fun doing it.

-

A week later, Draco sat in the Hog's Head with the group, waiting for people to show up. They had all agreed that Hermione's idea was a good one. Harry was less assured and had insisted that nobody would show up to the meeting. Somehow, and Draco didn't want to know the details, Hermione had convinced him. So they waited in a secluded corner, drinking butterbeer. One by one, students started filing in. Ron waved them over and pulled more chairs and tables around. When Harry was satisfied that enough people had showed up, he cleared his throat.

"Hello everyone," he started. "As you all know, Umbridge doesn't intend to teach us DADA. We think we should take this into our own hands, which is why we've asked people to come today if they're interested."

"And how could you teach us?" A Ravenclaw student scoffed. "You're barely older than some of us."

"Harry has one thing nobody else in this group has: firsthand experience." Hermione interjected before anyone could say anything else. "He retrieved the philosopher's stone when he was a first year, defeated a basilisk the year after."

"He faced You-Know-Who and lived." Ron said. "If anyone knows about defense against the dark arts, it's Harry."

"So how do we go about doing this?" Another student asked.

"We have a meeting place." Hermione said. "We can meet there and learn about what we'll need to defend ourselves, like a patronus charm and basic jinxes."

"How do we know we can trust him?" A Ravenclaw stared at Harry. "Sure, he's been up against You-Know-Who but how do we know that he's not working with him?"

"Don't be stupid." Ron glared at him.

"If we knew what happened that night, maybe we'd have more confidence in him." He said. Draco sighed when he heard people agreeing with him.

"The cup was a portkey." Harry started. "Me and Cedric both grabbed it and instead of going back to the beginning of the maze, we were taken to a graveyard. Voldemort was there, he killed Cedric and he would've killed me if I hadn't been able to distract him." Harry scowled at the Ravenclaw. "That's it, there was nothing miraculous or special." He crossed his arms. Draco, of course, knew he was lying. Lucius had talked about what had happened that night, but if Harry wasn't ready to speak of it, Draco wouldn't bring it up. Silence fell over the group as they considered his words.

"Alright," the same Ravenclaw nodded. The mood felt lighter, like everyone had let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding.

"Well, if we're going to be a real organization we'll need a name." Ron said.

"What about Defense Association?" Cho Chang piped up from the back. "It could be DA for short."

"I like DA," Ginny said. "But what if it stood for Dumbledore's Army instead? Umbridge would hate that."

"I like it," Ron nodded. "Right, is everyone in?" He asked. A quiet murmur spread through the group. Draco sat quietly with the only two other Slytherins in the room, sipping his butterbeer. One by one, they looked at Harry.

"Excellent," Hermione was practically beside herself as she pulled a piece of parchment from her bag, along with a quill and inkpot. "Put your name down here, we can meet every Friday after dinner. We'll tell you how to get to our meeting place later." She scrawled 'Dumbledore's Army' at the top of the page and put her name beneath it. Harry signed his name, followed by Ron. Draco signed, trying to ignore the stares of the other students. Despite what he had done, Draco knew that they didn't trust him. He sat back down next to Pansy. Slowly, everyone filed out of the Hog's Head with promises of explanation by Hermione. "We did it."

"You did it." Harry said. "I can't believe I let you drag me into this."

"Thank you, Harry." She folded up the paper. "It means a lot to me."

"What now?" Draco asked. "I don't suppose doing something fun for once is an option."

-

It hadn't taken long for Umbridge to shut down the DA, as she did everything else. The educational decree twenty-four forbade student organizations not approved by the Hogwarts High Inquisitor from meeting.

"That didn't take long." Draco sighed, sitting in the library with his friends after dinner.

"She must have been tipped off about us." Pansy said.

"I would've known." Hermione nodded. "I enchanted the paper, it would've told me if someone had betrayed us."

"She's probably just being her normal, crazy self." Ron suggested. "I mean, that's not so unbelievable, is it?"

"We started this, we can't just let her end it so easily." Hermione said. "We can meet this Friday, she doesn't have to know."

"If she finds out we'll be in serious trouble." Blaise pointed out. "We could get expelled, and we'd be breaking too many rules to count." Nobody said a word for a few moments. "It's such a terrible idea, we have to do it."

"So it's settled," Hermione nodded. "This Friday, we'll do it, regardless of what Umbridge says."

"I'm in," Harry said.

"Oh good," Pansy rolled her eyes. "I was hoping I'd get to break some more rules before we all get expelled."

"Don't worry, Pansy, think of it as an adventure." Draco teased her.

"Adventurers die horrible deaths all the time, Draco."

"Congratulations on missing the point completely."

"Don't be an asshole." She punched his arm.

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

"I hate you."

"False!" He said, relieved when she laughed instead of punching him again.

"This is the worst idea we've ever had." She sighed. "Hopefully it's not our last idea."

"Don't be a drama queen." Draco winked at her. And though nobody said anything, there was an unspoken agreement between them. It was do or die, and Draco desperately hoped it would be the former.


	10. Hagrid's Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I update erratically. I apologize, I only have one day off a week. And tbh some of my writing makes me cringe but I wanna finish this so

Harry, Hermione, and Ron had raced to Hagrid's hut as soon as the word was out about his return. But they returned with faces paler than snow, whispering fiercely as they walked into the library. Hermione was rolling her eyes at something Ron said, Harry was scanning the library for the group of Slytherins already waiting at the usual table. Quidditch was cancelled by Umbridge's new decree; with more time to study, much to Hermione's glee, more and more of their time was spent in the library.

 

"What happened?" Pansy set down her textbook, staring down the trio as they sat down.

 

"We're all in trouble, that's what." Ron said. He rubbed his temples, and Harry stared at the table.

 

"Excuse me?" Pansy raised an eyebrow. Her manicured nails drummed on the table impatiently as she waited for someone to speak. Draco put down his quill, taking a break from writing a history of magic essay.

 

"Hagrid's back," Harry said. "But it's not good news." He took a deep breath before continuing. "He was trying to convince the giants to join our cause, but they refused the offer."

 

"And worse, he's injured." Hermione said, already taking parchment and a quill out of her school bag. "Umbridge will be suspicious, but what can he do?"

 

"Umbridge is suspicious of everything." Draco said. He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hands. "Hell, we're basically asking to get expelled with our business."

 

"It doesn't matter," Ron said. "We have to do something, even if it means we get caught."

 

"Easy for you to say," Pansy rolled her eyes.

 

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

 

"If my parents found out I was part of it, they'd disown me."

 

"I'm surprised they haven't already." Blaise said. "I mean, we're getting pretty friendly with the golden trio."

 

"It was easy to convince them of my motivations." She said, shrugging. "All I had to do was tell them some stuff about ulterior motives and finding out their weaknesses for the Dark Lord."

 

"Have I told you you're brilliant today?" Draco winked at Pansy.

 

"Probably, but I always enjoy hearing it."

 

"Careful, Draco, or you'll inflate her ego even more." Blaise said. Pansy flicked a piece of crumpled parchment at him from across the table. Ron was still looking at her, and Draco resisted the urge to tease him. A light blush dusted his cheeks as Pansy laughed; well, that was interesting, Draco thought. He cracked his knuckles before picking up his quill and getting back to work.

 

"At least we'll get to do some fun stuff in class again." Harry said, offering a small smile to the group. Hermione nodded, shooting a look at Draco before busying herself once more with a textbook. Pansy was giving him a look again, waggling her eyebrows as he attempted to ignore her. She kept tapping his arm but her resolutely kept his eyes on the parchment. Finally, with a huff, she returned to her work. They sat in silence, knowing that nothing could make them stop looking over their shoulders every few minutes.

 

-

 

Draco nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. It was Friday, and he was walking to the Room of Requirement. It was probably Umbridge, he thought. He turned around slowly, only to be greeted by Hermione.

 

"Merlin, I thought you were Umbridge." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

"Thankfully, I don't have as much pink in my wardrobe."

 

"Don't become a crime against fashion, please." Draco said, his nose wrinkled at the thought. "I don't think I could be seen in public with you."

 

"Ouch," she elbowed him as they made their way down the hall. He glanced at her once before quickening his pace. Draco stayed in class late because of some trouble with arithmancy; if he wanted to be even remotely on time, he'd have to book it. Hermione kept up with him, grumbling something about stupid tall people under her breath as she did. The two of them walked through the twisting hallways and up the stairs. At least the benefit of the long walk across Hogwarts was the fact that the Room of Requirement was remote. When they finally arrived, the two of them did the required walking about until a door appeared.

 

"Alright," they walked into the middle of Harry talking to everyone, "That's why we're going to focus on disarming spells." He looked behind him briefly, waving to the pair of them. Draco cursed him silently for drawing attention to them. The way he looked, he couldn't even pass as fashionably late. Draco put his bag down near the door with all the others and made his way over to Pansy and Blaise. Hermione stayed close to Harry, who was dividing everyone into pairs.

 

"What are we doing?" Draco whispered, leaning over Pansy.

 

"We're starting with expelliarmus," she said. "You're late."

 

"I had to do stuff for class."

 

"Boo," she nudged him. Harry was getting closer to their end of the crowd, making seemingly random pairs out of everyone.

 

"Pansy and Ron, pair up." He said, "Hermione and Draco." He moved through the crowd, pairing himself with Blaise at the end of the line. Draco saw Luna and Ginny near them, and when he caught Luna's eye she waved enthusiastically. He returned it after a few moments, hesitant to draw more attention to himself. "Now, both of you will draw your wands but you'll take turns. We'll practice speed with this spell later. And please watch out for flying wands, I'd hate to see someone catch a wand with their face." Harry finished his speech before turning to his partner. Draco chuckled, turning to face Hermione after drawing his wand.

 

"Do you want to go first?" He asked. She nodded, and without any hesitation, disarmed him. "Nice," he said, picking his wand up off the floor. As soon as he was up, he pointed his wand at her. "Expelliarmus!" The wand went flying from her hand, and he heard everyone around them saying the spell. A wand flew over his head and he ducked. He glared at Harry, who just shrugged before going back to practicing with Blaise. Draco saw Neville standing alone at the end of the line, crossed arms and shuffling from side to side. But his concentration was quickly brought back to Hermione when she sent his wand flying behind him. He rolled his eyes before retrieving it. They took turns for a few more times before Harry got everyone's attention again.

 

"Switch partners!" He said. Harry walked over to Neville and started practicing with him, but it looked like it was mostly one sided. Hermione paired up with Ron; Pansy and Blaise got together.

 

"Traitors," he muttered under his breath. But he wasn't left alone for long, someone was tapping on his shoulder. Draco turned around, only to see Luna behind him.

 

"Wanna pair up?" She asked. Draco nodded in response, and she walked back a ways. "Ready?" Luna had her wand at the ready, and he nodded once more. "Expelliarmus," she said, and his wand flew behind him. Draco went to pick it up, and saw that most everyone was watching Neville and Harry at the end of the line. He took his turn with Luna, and looked over to see what everyone was preoccupied with. Neville was still trying, Harry encouraging him as Neville kept going. Bless his heart; he was red as a tomato when he realized everyone was watching.

 

"Come on, try again." Harry said. Neville took a deep breath, and raised his wand.

 

"Expelliarmus!" He said, and Harry's wand went flying, shooting over the heads of the crowd. There was a quiet moment before some people started cheering. Mostly Gryffindors, but even Pansy cracked a smile at him.

 

"Okay, let's try for speed now." Harry said. "We'll have two groups, one person from each group will face off against each other. Whoever disarms the fastest wins that round." He said. The DA milled around the room, people going to other ends. Hermione went with Harry to one side. Pansy, Draco, Blaise, and Ron went to the other.

 

"You're a traitor," Draco said to Pansy. She elbowed him, smiling.

 

"There are only three of us, Draco dear, we can't all be in a pair."

 

"I see your point. Counter point: a group of three never hurt anyone."

 

"Oh?" She was watching two people in the center of the circle. Almost immediately, a Ravenclaw sent the Gryffindor's wand to the side. Draco hummed in reply as Ron and Hermione stepped into the middle. "He doesn't stand a chance."

 

"Nervous?" Hermione asked, drawing her wand.

 

"No way, it's on!" He said, but was too slow to avoid Hermione's spell. Ron's wand was thrown across the room, much to the amusement of Hermione. Someone in the crowd tossed it back to him as Hermione grinned from ear to ear.

 

"Better luck next time." Hermione said. Pansy was snickering next to him and Blaise was trying—rather unsuccessfully—to stifle a grin. Ron walked back to their side, grumbling about something under his breath. He came to a stop next to them and Pansy elbowed his side. They spent the afternoon going over defense spells, and even Draco was forced to admit that he had a good time. It was a nice reprieve, Draco thought, not ready to go back to boring classes on Monday with Umbridge.

 

-

 

"Everyone keep up!" Hagrid led the way to s clearing in the forest. They were having a special class, apparently, and Draco was tired of hearing Pansy bemoan the state of her shoes. He left her with Blaise, who glared at him as he nodded along to her complaining. Draco shrugged but didn't look back again. He almost jogged to catch up with the Golden Trio, managing to fall into step with them right in the middle of Hermione's rant about house elf rights.

 

"It's just so hypocritical," she brushed a hand through wild hair. "Wizards use them all the time, and I bet most of them couldn't live without a house elf. But they don't even pay them!"

 

"We're well aware, Hermione," Harry said quietly. She took a breath, probably intent on continuing, but jumped when she noticed Draco walking beside her.

 

"Hey," he said. Hermione waved at him slightly before going off on another rant. Draco sighed, realizing that he had just gone from one type of complaint to the other.

 

"Gather 'round!" Hagrid motioned the class to the center of the clearing. Thankfully, Hermione was cut off mid sentence as Hagrid began his lesson. Not that he usually minded her, but that had been the third time she'd lectured them within a few hours. In the snow covered grass, Draco was thankful Pansy convinced him to wear his scarf. As if summoned by his thoughts, Pansy grabbed hold of his arm. Blaise wasn't too far behind. "These," Hagrid motioned to a blank space, "Are thestrals."

 

"What's a thestral?" A boy in the back asked.

 

"A thestral is a magical bein', it even pulls the carriages here at Hogwarts." Hagrid said. He took a piece of meat out his bag and tossed it on the ground. Draco scoffed, eyeing the middle of the field. There was nothing there, anyone could see that. But soon the meat was gone, like it had disappeared into thin air. "Only people who have seen death can see a thestral."

 

"Why have a lesson if we can't even see it?" Blaise said.

 

"I can see them." Harry said. Draco caught his eye briefly, realizing he was talking about Diggory. "I thought I was crazy."

 

"You're not," Ron said. He punched his best friend's arm. "If Hagrid says they're real, then they are. And if you can see them, I believe you."

 

"Thanks," he said.

 

"Aw look, they're bonding." Pansy teased. Ron shot a glare at her and she stuck out her tongue at him. Hagrid was lecturing in the middle, petting an invisible creature.

 

"What do they look like anyway?" Hermione asked. Pansy sighed as everyone turned to look at them.

 

"Well they're kinda like horses, but all leathery like a bat." He said. "They have wings too, thestrals are quite odd lookin' if you've never seen one before."

 

"I can't imagine why." Draco said under his breath. Pansy chuckled, drawing the attention of Harry. Draco just shrugged, and Harry turned back to face Hagrid.

 

"Don't be a shit," Pansy whispered.

 

"You know I can't help it."

 

"That's what makes you such a terrible person."

 

"Oh yeah, like you're one to talk."

 

"I can't even believe you."

 

-

 

Later, Draco was hunched over a piece of parchment in the library. Narcissa had written him earlier, detailing her job search. So far, she had had no luck. Apparently family drama and former ties to Voldemort was a turn off for most employers. Draco couldn't imagine why. Draco hadn't heard from Lucius, not that he expected to, but still. He was waiting for a letter of reproach, or anything else. Why couldn't he simply acknowledge his existence? At least Draco had been a Malfoy, Lucius acted like he cared.

 

_Mother,_

_I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties. But I know you, and a Black never backs down from a challenge. Never forget that nagging them to death is an option. Classes are fine, well, most of them. I'm sure you've heard about our so-called High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. Umbridge is basically the worst teacher ever. She posts all these mandates all the time, I'm sure she enjoys torturing us. I—_

 

Draco put down his quill when he realized someone was clearing his throat behind him. He looked up, only to see Harry. His clothes were rumpled, his hair even messier than usual.

 

"Can I?" He motioned to the empty seat beside him. The rest of the group had gone out to the lake earlier. Well, Pansy persuaded them. How? Well Draco wasn't quite sure of the details. He knew that Harry had gone back to Gryffindor tower after class. He nodded, and Harry sat down.

 

"Something on your mind?" Draco set down the quill, turning to Harry.

 

"Maybe," he was rubbing at his scar. "I'm not sure."

 

"Oh?"

 

"I keep having these dreams," he said, arms crossed over his chest. "It's like I'm watching Voldemort and there's always something happening."

 

"What do you mean?" Draco's brow was furrowed when he asked. He leaned his head on his hands, elbows on the table. He ignored the urge to sit properly, almost laughing at the thought of his mother apparating to Hogwarts just to scold his bad manners.

 

"It's like I can see what he's going to do. I don't know." He sighed. "Am I going crazy?"

 

"I don't think so." Draco said. "He's back, we know that. But we don't know why you're having dreams. But you're aware of that so," he shrugged. "Dumbledore probably has a theory."

 

"I don't want to tell him."

 

"Oh?"

 

"I'm not sure how he would react, to be honest." Harry was staring at the table, resolutely refusing to meet Draco's eyes.

 

"You're his golden boy, Harry."

 

"But what if I'm connected to Voldemort somehow?" He said. "What if everyone's right and I'll turn evil?"

 

"The papers are full of it and you know it." Draco insisted, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "They'll say anything to sell their story. It sucks you have to deal with them, I know. Believe me, that Skeeter woman wouldn't know journalism if it bit her on the ass."

 

"I never wanted this." He was touching his bandaged hand. Draco's eyes flicked to it as he scowled. "People always treat me like I'm some savior or something, but I was just a kid. I don't know if I can do it again."

 

"You certainly can't do it in those robes," he said. "Seriously? You have ink on the trim." Draco said, pleased when the dark haired boy cracked a smile. "You look ridiculous."

 

"At least I never went through a hair gel phase."

 

"Why does everyone always throw that in my face?" Draco asked. "It's not like I looked terrible."

 

"You're right, you looked absolutely awful." Harry said. Draco rolled his eyes. "Be careful or they'll be stuck like that permanently."

 

"Your point?" Draco said, rolling his eyes again for emphasis. Laughing, Harry nudged him.

 

"Writing an essay?"

 

"A letter," he corrected him. "I should finish it, but I'm not sure what to say. Yes mom, my school year is great! Aside from the pink nightmare that is Dolores Umbridge."

 

"At least she hasn't branched out into other obnoxious colors. She could've discovered teal by now."

 

"And we should all be thankful." Draco said, nodding. The pair sat in silence for a few minutes; the only sound was of Draco's quill scratching against the parchment. At least he talked to him, but Draco knew he was hiding something. The blond boy was determined to find out, even if Harry was acting like a damn martyr all the time. He jumped slightly when Harry put a hand on his shoulder.

 

"Thanks for the talk."

 

"Anytime."

 

-

 

"Can I talk to you?" Hermione was standing in the doorway to the owlery. After Draco had finally managed to finish his letter, he hadn't expected to be intercepted. And yet, there she was, bundled up in a coat and mittens.

 

"About?" He watched the owl fly away until it was a black blur on the horizon.

 

"It's nothing, really," she said. "I just wanted to thank you."

 

"For?" He raised an eyebrow.

 

"Well, you were a jerk to us all the time. And I know that this summer's been hard on you. I just want to say thanks for being on our side, it's nice to know that there's someone out there who doesn't blame Harry."

 

"I'm not an idiot, contrary to popular belief." He said. "Harry isn't responsible, no matter what people may think."

 

"So take the compliment," she teased.

 

"I know I'm fantastic," he smirked. She laughed, caught his eye for a moment before looking away. "Also, I thought you knew that boys and girls aren't allowed alone in the same room."

 

"Umbridge's declarations are almost as stupid as her haircut." Hermione sniped, earning a nod from Draco.

 

"I didn't think you were capable of insulting a teacher."

 

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes. "I'm not a goody two shoes."

 

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow at the declaration. "Not quite sure I believe that."

 

"Most of the time," she corrected quickly. "I have my moments. And it's not like you know everything."

 

"Oh no, I leave that to you." He winked, trying to ignore the blush on her cheeks. It was the weather, he thought. The cold would make anyone's face red.

 

"Prat."

 

"Know it all." He shot back, grinning at her. Hermione walked over, leaning on the other side of the window. They watched the snowfall in silence.

 

"I'm just really glad you're here."

 

"Yeah," he shot a glance at her, "Me too."


	11. Harry's Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're now getting into part 2! Exciting, I know.

_“Maybe I need you the way that big moon needs that open sea_

_  
Maybe I didn’t even know was here ‘til I saw you holding me"_

—    Andrea Gibson, _Maybe I Need You_

**Part Two: Forte**

It was almost Christmas break, and Harry looked like hell. Draco furrowed his brow as Harry walked into the Great Hall. His usually messy hair was even worse than usual, strands sticking up every which way. There were bags under his eyes, and his book bag was clenched in what looked like an ironclad grip. He practically ran over to Ron, whispering something in his ear before Ron gasped. They whispered furiously to each other before heading over to Dumbledore. Hermione followed, soon the Golden Trio was gone with Dumbledore leading the way.

 

"What the hell?" Pansy leaned over, eyes glued on the group. Blaise was staring similarly, frowning at the sudden development. "Should we follow?"

 

"No," Blaise said. "It clearly doesn’t involve us." He raised an eyebrow at Pansy's sigh but didn't say anything else. She was tapping her nails on the table, impatiently waiting for them to return.

 

"Surely they'll tell us if it's important." Draco said, trying to reassure her. She only huffed in response, and went back to eating breakfast. Periodically, Draco looked up to see if the group returned. But to his frustration and confusion, they were absent for the rest of breakfast. The three Slytherins made their way to class wordlessly, all lost in thought. When they took their seats in DADA, the Gryffindors were already there.

 

"Hey," Pansy said, sitting down next to Ron. The poor boy's face was paper white as he stared into the distance. She tapped on his shoulder lightly when he didn't answer. Ron looked at her quickly, posture relaxing once he realized who it was. Draco sat in the usual spot, between Pansy and Blaise, leaning over the table to look at the three Gryffindors. "Is everything all right?"

 

"I don't know," Ron said. "It's my dad," he started, pausing briefly. Ron sat there, brow furrowed, as if he couldn't find the words to tell them. "He's in St. Mungo's."

 

"Oh," Pansy said, at a loss for what to say. Draco stared at Pansy for a moment before looking at Harry. His head was down on his desk, arms covering his face. Harry was softly snoring before class started.

 

"He, uh, was bitten by a snake." Hermione said, putting her hand on Ron's arm. They were interrupted by Umbridge bustling into the classroom, who was humming something under her breath as she passed rows of students. Ron was trying to shake Harry awake inconspicuously, but his efforts were only met with snores.

 

"Harry Potter," her shrill voice cut through the class like nails on a chalkboard. Harry finally startled out of sleep. "Detention, for sleeping in class."

 

"Oh great," he muttered under his breath. Hermione elbowed his ribs before he got himself in more trouble. Harry only grunted in response, running a hand through his wild hair. As usual the class went by in total silence; the students read the textbook and Umbridge watched them like a hawk. Ron was only staring at the pages, blank expression clearly meant his mind was somewhere else entirely. The group nearly tripped over themselves when Umbridge finally dismissed the class, stuffing textbooks and notes in their bags quickly before heading into the hallway.

 

"What did happen?" Draco asked once they were out in the hallway. For a few moments, nobody seemed to want to answer. Ron glanced at Harry, who was looking resolutely at the ground. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but must've thought against it. Well, Draco thought, that's a first. He wasn't sure if he should be worried about that or not.

 

"I had a vision," Harry started, "Ron's dad was in the Ministry. It was like…" He cleared his throat before continuing. "It was like I was this snake and I attacked him. So I told Dumbledore and he contacted the Ministry; turns out he was bit, so they took him to St. Mungo's."

 

"Why did you go to class if your dad is in the hospital, Ron?" Pansy asked, putting her hand on Ron's arm.

 

"I have to wait all day to visit him anyways. Dumbledore told me we could floo over after classes finished." Ron said. He didn't shrug off Pansy's hand, just leaned into it a little. Had it been any other time, Draco definitely would've teased them. "If you guys want to come, you can."

 

"I don't know, would your family even want us there?" Draco said, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Hell, you and Narcissa stayed with us at the Burrow. Your mom's still there! I hear my mom is making you Weasley sweaters," Ron said. "You're practically family." He was smiling slightly, despite all that had happened. Draco met Ron's eyes briefly, giving him a slight nod.

 

"If you want, we'll be there." Pansy said, nodding at the group. Blaise bit his lip before nodding back at her. They walked to their next class in complete silence, shuffling into the potions classroom and taking their seats in the back. Nobody was in the mood to talk as they got out their notes and quills. But they weren't given much time to themselves before Snape walked into class.

 

"We'll start with something simple." He wrote a page number on the board, and everyone hurried to turn to it. Snape didn't wait before he started lecturing. Hermione was already scribbling furiously on her parchment, eyes fixed on the textbook. Draco's wrist was aching by the end of the lecture, and it seemed no one else was faring any better. The rest of the day passed similarly, and by the end of classes Draco was more than ready to just take a nap and forget the world existed. But they still had somewhere to be. The group was rushing to Dumbledore's office, trying not to run and incite scolding from teachers of prefects.

 

"Jellybeans," Ron said to the statue in guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office. It moved for them, and they made their way up the stairs. Dumbledore was at his desk, a cup of tea in hand as he read a piece of parchment, quill in the other hand.

 

"Ah," he looked up at them. "Here to see your father, Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore said, putting down both the tea and quill. "I didn't expect such a big group."

 

"Is that all right, sir?" Draco said, looking down briefly as Pansy grabbed his hand. She was staring down Dumbledore, probably trying to intimidate him wordlessly into letting them go.

 

"Of course, if it's okay with Mr. Weasley." He said, looking to Ron. He only nodded once before Dumbledore smiled a bit, turning to get a can of floo powder from the fireplace mantle. He handed them each a handful, supervising as they went one by one to St. Mungo's hospital. Draco went through last, only barely managing not to trip over Blaise on the other side. Blaise only shrugged as he turned around. Draco punched his arm lightly, trying to smile.

 

"Excuse me?" Ron was talking to the receptionist at the front desk. "I'm here to see Arthur Weasley."

 

"Are you family?" She asked, looking at the group of teenagers.

 

"Yes," he said. She looked them over again once more before sighing.

 

"I'm afraid Mr. Weasley has been in critical condition, only family is allowed in the ICU."

 

"But," he started but was cut off by Molly Weasley bustling into the lobby.

 

"Ron!" She said, rushing to him and enveloping him in a hug. "Albus told me you were all flooing over! Come now," Molly ushered the group behind her. She didn't listen to the receptionist as she protested, just led the group back to where Arthur Weasley was staying.

 

"You're a life saver, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said. She laughed a little, still rushing along the long corridor. Draco had to almost jog to keep up with them, falling in with Blaise at the end of the group. Finally, they came to a door on the right and went into the room. Arthur Weasley was lying in a bed, his face pale. But he lit up with a smile when he saw who came to visit. Narcissa got up from her seat next to his bed, much to Draco's surprise.

 

"Well, this is quite the party you've got." Arthur said. Ron hurried to his bedside. "The rest of the family was already here, I think Fred and George probably skipped class."

 

"Not surprising," Molly said. "But for heaven's sake, let's hope they don't do it again!"

 

"Not likely," Harry muttered. Hermione nudged him with her elbow, biting her lip to keep from laughing. Draco caught her eye, shaking with silent laughter. He turned to face his mom, who had made her way across the room to him. She hugged him tightly, and he returned it.

 

"I'm so glad to see you." She said before stepping back a bit.

 

"Me too, you have no idea." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Did you get my letter?"

 

"Yes!" Narcissa said, grinning. "You surprise me, writing so often, but I am glad to get them." They were alone near the middle of the room, with everyone else by Arthur's bedside. Moments later, Ginny walked into the room as well, raising an eyebrow at the crowd. But she didn't say anything as she walked to her dad's bed. "Are you doing okay with all this madness at Hogwarts?"

 

"It's been…" He trailed off, searching for the right word. "Is absolutely insane a bad way to put it?"

 

"In polite company, perhaps," she said. "But I doubt we have to worry about that with this lot." Narcissa glanced behind at the group. Draco chuckled, shaking his head. "Shall we?" She hardly waited for Draco to nod before turning and joining everyone else.

 

"I'm telling you," Arthur said, "that blood replenishing potion does great work but it's gross!" He smiled when they laughed. "Can't wait until I'm free and clear."

 

"Me too," Molly was holding his hand on top of the covers. "Let's hope you're well in time for Christmas!"

 

"Well it wouldn't be Christmas without a family disaster," Ginny quipped. "Remember the time the twins burned the ham? Mom was so mad! She had to cook something new from scratch; Fred and George were banned from the kitchen entirely."

 

"True," Ron said. "At least the mashed potatoes were left untouched."

 

"Thank god for small things." Ginny said, nodding solemnly. Molly was laughing, Arthur seemed grateful for the distraction. Hermione tapped Draco's arm, inclining her head towards the hallway. He followed her out, shrugging when Narcissa shot him a questioning look.

 

"I hope you're not here to lecture me." He said. "I get enough of that from Snape, thank you."

 

"No," she rolled her eyes at him. "I just thought you might want some time away from it."

 

"Oh?"

 

"Well, yeah, you never seem to like being around loud groups for too long." Hermione looked from him to the floor. "I remember at the Burrow, you always excused yourself whenever possible."

 

"Back then my mom and I just left the manor." Draco said. "I don't know if I ever told anyone about it." He said, voice dropping to a murmur. Hermione looked back up at him, waiting for him to speak. Draco crossed his arms over his chest, shifted his weight from foot to foot. He wondered if there were words to describe it. If he could tell her what his father—ex father now—had said to him. "The night before, I snuck out to Narcissa's gardens. I couldn't think about anything but the dark mark, about what would happen if I joined the Death Eaters. I made my decision and told Lucius the next morning. To say he didn't take it well is an understatement."

 

"What happened?" Hermione said when Draco paused.

 

"He told me how everyone would be very sorry if I had a little accident." He said, looking away from Hermione. He didn't want to see her face, didn't want her pity. "And he tried to..." Draco trailed off in the middle of the sentence. "If Narcissa hadn't been there, Lucius would've cast the killing curse."

 

"I don't know what to say." Hermione said. He still wasn't looking at her, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat.

 

"So don't say anything." He said, wanting to kick himself for telling her. Sure, they were friends, but it's not like they went back years. Hermione wasn't his best friend in the world, not like Pansy or Blaise. They were his only friends who had known before now. Draco was startled out of thought by a tentative hand on his shoulder. He dreaded seeing the look on her face, but was taken aback by the quiet rage in Hermione's expression.

 

"I'm just so furious he could even think of it!" Her grip on his shoulder tightened with every word. Draco's hand went up, thoughtlessly, to cover hers. She faltered before she could begin a rant.

 

"Thank you."

 

"For what?" Her expression shifted from anger to curiosity, she stepped a little closer. But before Draco had a chance to reply, their friends came through the door. Draco and Hermione stepped away from each other quickly. His hands went to his pockets as Hermione looked at the ceiling, biting her lip.

 

"We should go for a little walk," Pansy declared. "We've been moping around too long today!" She nudged Ron, who only rolled his eyes a little at her.

 

"Yeah, it's not like Ron's dad was in danger or anything." Harry said. Pansy just punched his arm.

 

"Well he's fine!" She said. They walked aimlessly through the hall, just glad the day was over and Arthur was okay. It felt like all the tension of the day was gone; they could just joke around and be normal, at least for a few hours. Ginny was gossiping with Hermione about something, laughing occasionally. Pansy and Ron were deep in conversation, about what, Draco had no idea. He didn't think they were that close. Blaise and Draco were walking in step with Harry, the three of them quietly chatting about quidditch.

 

"Oh," a voice caught their attention. "I didn't know you guys would be here." Neville Longbottom was standing a few feet away, shuffling from side to side awkwardly.

 

"We were visiting my dad," Ron said. "What are you doing here?"

 

"Oh, uh," he looked around the hallway. "The same?" He sighed, but before Neville had a chance to explain, a woman tapped him on the shoulder. Neville turned around to face her as the woman opened her hand and gave him what looked to be a candy wrapper. "Thanks mom." He said quietly as she walked away again.

 

"Neville," Ginny approached him, speaking softly. "Why are your parents in St. Mungo's?"

 

"They live here," he said, shrugging. Neville turned around, not meeting Ginny's eye. She didn't say anything, just hugged him quickly. "The cruciatus curse is a hell of a thing, you know?" Neville said. Draco understood finally, nodding. Pansy gasped a little, and Harry's lips were set in a thin line. They stood silent, nobody knowing quite what to say. "I should get back to Hogwarts," Neville excused himself. "I'll see you in class Monday." He hurriedly walked away, not waiting to see if anyone wanted to talk to him or offer condolences. Draco felt for him, he'd probably been apologized to his whole life for what happened to his parents.

 

"They have a cafeteria here, right?" Ron asked, breaking the silence. His grumbling stomach had everyone out of their thoughts again, laughing as his face turned red. "I'm serious!"

 

"You always are about food," Harry teased. Ron sputtered a bit, but gave up on a reply when they all headed to the end of the hallway.

As it turned out, the cafeteria food wasn't half bad.

 

-

 

At the end of the semester, they found themselves walking out of exams gratefully, ties undone and cloaks stuffed in their bags.

 

"I might have passed that exam." Harry said.

 

"Aren't you glad we all had time study?" Hermione said, rolling her eyes when everyone groaned in reply.

 

"I'm just glad it's time for Christmas!" Pansy had been in a gift idea frenzy the last week of class, trying to figure out presents everyone. Needless to say, nobody was pleased with her constant needling. But Draco knew she'd manage to get everyone something awesome, she always did. He thought back to his joke present from last year, a bottle of premium hair gel. An ode to dark times past, Pansy had written on the card. His actual present was pretty awesome, a book of sheet music he'd never been able to get his hands on. How she got it, well, Draco was never sure.

 

"I'm not looking forward to going back home," Blaise grumbled. Pansy nodded in agreement. "We'll just have to write, I guess."

 

"And miss me from afar," Draco declared. "I expect longing glances at the window at least three times a day, along with adoring letters written on the finest stationary."

 

"Oh yes, how I love thee." Blaise said, barely managing to stifle a laugh. "Shall I count the ways?"

 

"You were perfectly happy to earlier in the year," Pansy reminded him. Blaise groaned, much to Draco's amusement. Everyone was chattering about their plans, Hermione was spending Christmas break with her parents. Harry was, of course, going to Grimmauld place to be with Sirius. The Weasleys were apparently headed there too. And with the Weasleys went Draco and Narcissa, as seemed to be customary lately. They parted to go to their respective dorms and pack their things.

 

"Do you think they'll ask us to take the dark mark?" Blaise asked Pansy once they were in the common room.

 

"I don't know," she sighed. "I wouldn't put it past them."

 

"We can't," Blaise said. "But if we don't, we'll be disowned for real."

 

"I know." Pansy said. "But what are we supposed to do?"

 

"Well I won't if they ask me." Blaise said, meeting Draco's eyes briefly.

 

"I'm with you," Pansy reached out to grab his hand. She took Draco's hand too. The three of them stood together in the middle of the common room. "I just hope we're not making a stupid decision."

 

"We definitely are." Draco said. "We're spending too much time with Gryffindors." He smirked when Pansy grinned and Blaise just shook his head. They stood in silence, each lost in thought. Draco knew they weren't particularly close with their parents. They didn't have someone like Narcissa in their lives. He shuddered to think of what would happen to him. Please, he thought, please let them come back safe.

 

"This is too depressing." Pansy said. "Let's get ready to go! I'm sure the Gryffindors are done, I think they just shove everything into their trunks." She wrinkled her nose at the thought. Draco chuckled, letting go of his friend's hands. Blaise and Draco made their way to their room, bidding Pansy goodbye as she went to hers. The two boys quickly folded their clothes and put them in their trunks, searching their dorm for anything they might've missed.

 

"Ready?" Blaise asked, sitting on top of his trunk. Draco was packing the last of his books, regretting his enthusiasm in packing at the beginning of the year.

 

"Yeah," he closed the trunk of locked it. "Let's head out." Together, they took their trunks and met Pansy in the common room. She took longer than they did, citing reasons related to make up when they teased her. Draco would never understand her fascination with it, but she seemed to know what she was doing, so Draco didn't bother her about it. The three Slytherins took a carriage to the train station, finally meeting up with their Gryffindor friends on the train.

 

"You made it!" Hermione greeted them. "We were afraid you'd miss the train."

 

"Yes, well, we actually know how to pack a trunk properly." Draco said, winking at her. "You should try it sometime, but I don't know, the folding might be too complicated." He teased them, smirking at their protests. She blushed a little, putting a bookmark in between the pages she was reading. Draco sat next to her, with Blaise on his other side. Across from them sat Harry, Ron, and Pansy. They settled in the compartment, familiarity falling back into place.

 

Thinking back to the beginning of the year, it was hard for Draco to comprehend how they'd gone from enemies to friends so quickly. He supposed it was luck, and a good bit of patience on both parts. Lucius would be livid if he could see him now, sitting and chatting it up with the Golden Trio. His grin faltered at the thought, and he tried to put it from his mind. This year would be the first he'd ever spent away from the manor. He still wasn't sure what to think about that; he'd probably never see his childhood home again. Narcissa would never maintain her beautiful garden again. The realization hit him like a brick, leaving him feeling like there was something missing.

 

"What's up?" Hermione said to him quietly.

 

"It's nothing, just my usual brooding." He said. She raised an eyebrow, but let it go. Blaise nudged him a little, as if he knew what Draco was thinking. Draco mustered a small smile for his friend, who didn't seem convinced. Thankfully, he was distracted by Pansy's chatter soon enough. He didn't miss the looks Ron was giving her, almost laughed at his blush. Pansy was oblivious as ever, continuing to tell a story about a Christmas party a few years ago. Draco wondered how Pansy could be so quick to pick up on everything but Ron's little crush, and shook his head. He supposed she'd see it in time. Until then, he wouldn’t miss a single opportunity to tease her mercilessly.

 

-

 

Their respective families were waiting at King's Cross Station. The group parted ways, promising to write and send gifts. To Draco's great surprise, Hermione hugged him briefly before turning and leaving to find her parents. He didn't have long to contemplate it before Narcissa was hugging him and the Weasleys were having a loud reunion.

 

"Ready?" She asked, stepping back.

 

"Yeah," he said. "Looking forward to going back to Grimmauld Place?"

 

"Oh yes," Narcissa rolled her eyes. "I’m so looking forward to being back in that gloomy house. I hear the family portraits are lovely this time of year." She said. Draco laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But seriously, it'll be nice to have a big Christmas party again."

 

"Have you talked to your cousin yet?" Draco asked, not mentioning Sirius by name.

 

"He had some choice words for me." Narcissa said with a sigh. "But he's proud of me, of all things, for what I did for you."

 

"Yeah well," Draco shrugged. "At least you two made up. It'd be an awkward Christmas otherwise."

 

"Come along!" Molly was waving them over to the barrier between Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and the muggle world. The Weasleys, plus Harry and the Black family, went through to the regular King's Cross Station. Once out of sight of the muggles, they began to apparate to Grimmauld Place. Narcissa squeezed his hand as the Weasley family went in pairs.

 

"Well, this should be fun." Draco said, Narcissa grinned at him.

 

"We can only hope so." She said. And with that, Draco felt the familiar tugging that came with apparition, and only hoped that this year's Christmas would live up to the hype.


	12. Christmas at Grimmauld Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone say fluff??? Well if you didn't it doesn't matter have some fluff

Grimmauld Place was, Draco found, dreadful and probably highly unsanitary. Sirius had welcomed them with confetti and hugs, wearing a red cape. He said he was Santa Claus. Draco declined a hug, but before he could protest he was being hugged anyways. It would've been tolerable if they hadn't run into Kreacher. He was a rude house elf, why Sirius hadn't simply kicked him out was a mystery. Nobody, he thought, would investigate too thoroughly if Kreacher found himself in a field far away one morning.

 

"What's got you so glum?" Harry asked. It was after dinner and they all found themselves in the attic rooming together.

 

"If I have to hear one more insult from those stupid portraits I'm going to burn the house down." He threatened, twirling his wand between his fingers. "I'm serious," he protested when Harry was barely suppressing a laugh.

 

"I know, and I'm not sure if I should be scared or excited."

 

"Scared," Ron piped up from across the room. He was playing wizard's chess with a grumbling Hermione, who had been pondering her next move for a minute or two. "We'd have to break him out of the Ministry, it might ruin Christmas."

 

"What if we just covered the paintings with a sheet?" Harry suggested; Ron nodded in response rather fervently. "I'm on it," he said before making his own theme music as he hurried from the room. Draco picked up his book and moved over to Ron and Hermione, his eyes scanned the well read passages.

 

"Got your Christmas shopping done?" Draco asked.

 

"Just have to wrap the packages," Ron said. Hermione nodded along, eyes fixed on the board with her brow furrowed. Draco wrapped his before coming to Grimmauld Place, knowing that it would be harder to escape inquisitive friends in the small house. He gave his gifts to Pansy and Blaise with a tag saying: don't open until Christmas! But, somehow, he knew Pansy opened hers right after she said goodbye to Draco for the holidays. As for Blaise, he couldn't be sure, but he'd bet on a similar fate for the present. He, on the other hand, was going to wait for Christmas.

 

"Okay," Harry returned with a grin. "It's done and we can all be safe from arson now."

 

"All thanks to our friendly neighborhood buzz kill." Draco grumbled. Ron snorted and Hermione cracked a grin, catching his eye briefly. Harry rolled his eyes and plopped down next to Draco.

 

"Just doing my duty and contributing to our continued sanity."

 

"Good luck with that," Hermione said as she moved a rook across the board. "Check," she said, smirking at Ron. He puzzled for a moment before moving his king safely out of harms way.

 

"I can't believe Umbridge is having us write essays over break." Harry said. "I mean, we got off really light all around but seriously? She's sadistic."

 

"Mate, she wears all pink and sounds like a child when she talks, is it really that surprising?" Ron said, moving his knight and taking out Hermione's queen.

 

"I guess not," Harry said.

 

"Check," Ron said. Hermione moved her king, only to be cornered by Ron's pawns. "Check mate." He said, much to Hermione's annoyance. "Good game."

 

"I almost had you there once or twice." She reminded him as they put away the pieces. "But yes, good game."

 

"Please, Hermione, I've been playing wizard's chess since I could speak. I'm pretty sure you couldn't beat me."

 

"Is that so?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Then we'll just have to have a rematch." Hermione said. Ron stuck out his hand and Hermione took it, shaking it. "Then it's a deal?"

 

"You bet," he said, grinning.

 

"Well I hate to be an even bigger buzz kill," Harry said around a yawn. "But I think I'm going to crash."

 

"I'm with you on that." Draco said, bookmarking his page before stretching and getting up. They all went to their respective beds, yawning and chatting for a few minutes before Harry blew out his candle. Everyone else followed in quick succession. Draco stared up at the ceiling, barely registered his eyes closing before he drifted off.

 

-

 

Draco was practically a zombie the next morning as he walked down the stairs. He was lured by the smell of pancakes, and he cast a glance at the covered paintings. Harry delivered, he thought, glad to be missing their insults. How Sirius tolerated it, he'd never know. Hardly anyone was up yet as he poured himself a mug of coffee. His mom, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Sirius were the only ones in the kitchen.

 

"Oh god," Sirius groaned, "Why is your son an early riser too?" He sighed into his cup of tea. "That's ridiculous, what other terrible habits have you passed down?"

 

"You're up early too," she said, eyes scanning the front page of a newspaper.

 

"Yes but I'm an adult, your son is like twelve."

 

"I'm fifteen," Draco sat down at the table with his cup of coffee. "Not that it really matters, you'll still say I'm twelve."

 

"True," Sirius nodded. Molly was busy at work at the stove, flipping pancakes on a griddle and squeezing orange juice with a wave of her wand. "So, do you know who covered up the paintings? I believe I owe them a favor."

 

"It was your valiant godson who faced the horrors of your relatives and lived." He said. Before Sirius could reply, Draco's attention turned to the sound of pecking on the window. He recognized Pansy's owl and retrieved two letters. They were from Pansy and Blaise. He grinned, breaking the wax seal on Pansy's first. She was complaining about her family, and mocking the gigantic Christmas tree in the living room. Blaise, similarly, was bemoaning the fact that he'd have to get through Christmas parties alone. Draco brought them back to the attic room and ignited a candle so he could see to write a reply to both. Blaise's letter, he noted, was on pink stationary.

 

He scribbled furiously, asking Blaise to give him the latest gossip and told Pansy to behave. He told them about Kreacher and how Ron beat Hermione at wizard's chess. Draco missed them, he wanted to spend the holidays with them again. But he was at Grimmauld Place, and he knew he'd see them again after the holidays. He wanted to mock people at Christmas parties and sneak firewhisky out of the liquor cabinets. Draco almost balled up the letters and put them in the trash, but one look at that stupid pink stationary kept him writing. He signed both letters with a flourish and sent them with an owl.

 

"Breakfast is ready!" Molly's voice floated up the stairs and Ron fell out of bed, tangled in sheets. Harry was laughing at him, grabbing his glasses from the nightstand. Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped over him. Draco followed her out while Harry attempted to free Ron from his quilted prison.

 

"Morning," he said as he caught up with Hermione on the stairs.

 

"Good morning," she said, one hand on the rail as they descended side by side. They stacked their plates high with pancakes and bacon as they sat around the table. Bill arrived at Grimmauld Place that morning and his bags sat by the front door. Percy was still nowhere to be found, so Arthur was trying to soothe Molly's worries as they waited for Ron and Harry to show up. Narcissa smiled at him before taking a sip of her tea. Draco returned the gesture and poured syrup on his pancakes. Harry and Ron came stumbling in and immediately took their plates. Once everyone sat together, nobody hesitated to dig in.

 

"Who were you writing to so early in the morning?" Harry asked after gulping down some orange juice. "Who gave you that pretty pink stationary?"

 

"Well I was writing to the dynamic duo, Pansy and Blaise. It seems Blaise took it upon himself to write me letters on his finest stationary. I think he stole it from his mother." Draco said, cutting his pancakes into neat squares. Ron, on the other hand, was eating his stack like he hadn't eaten for days. It was at once terrifying and fascinating.

 

"Do you think his next letter will smell like flowers?" Harry teased, winking at Draco from across the table.

 

"I hope so, I deserve nothing but the best." He winked back at Harry before taking a bite of his pancakes. Harry faked swooning, much to Hermione's amusement.

 

-

 

Funnily enough, Blaise's next letter smelled only vaguely like roses.

 

-

 

On Christmas day, Draco found Molly crying when she opened a package from Percy. It was his Weasley sweater, returned to sender. Arthur was able to calm her down mostly, and Draco escaped the kitchen quietly with a cup of coffee in hand. Soon, she was calling everyone down for breakfast. Molly smiled as if everything was fine, but her face was still a little red. Draco nodded to her and she shot another strained smile at him. After breakfast they crowded around the pitiful looking Christmas tree.

 

Sirius proclaimed himself Santa and was passing out gifts gleefully. Occasionally he tossed one out, and most of the time it was caught. If Draco had fast reflexes, he only blamed the last school year. Ron, on the other hand, seemed to be catching the thrown presents with his face.

 

"Who wants to go first?" Sirius asked after he settled on a couch next to Narcissa. Harry volunteered and began opening his package, crumpling up the paper as he tore it off the box. He opened it, revealing a Weasley sweater done in Gryffindor colors. Harry put it on over his shirt and gave a thumbs up to Molly. Gradually, everyone opened their gifts. Draco was folding the wrapping paper from his last gift. It was a book of sheet music from Hermione.

 

"I remembered you played," she said when he rose an eyebrow at her. "I thought you would like it."

 

"I do," he said softly. He opened the book carefully, surprised to see quite a few songs he didn't know. "Thank you." Draco carefully set it on top of his small pile of presents. Hermione opened her gift from Draco, smiling when she saw the leather bound journal. "I, uh, thought you might want somewhere nice to record your thoughts. You seem to be the writing type." He rubbed the back of his neck. Draco was utterly unprepared for the hug, but returned it after a moment. She pulled back and skimmed the blank pages.

 

"I love it," she nodded. "Thanks." Hermione shot another smile at him. And if Draco blushed, well, Hermione was kind enough not to mention it.

 

"Hey, put on your Weasley sweaters!" Ron said, his hair tousled from yanking his on quickly. Draco rolled his eyes before putting it on. He smoothed his hair, looking at Narcissa. Their sweaters were both done in Slytherin colors: dark forest green with a grey letter. Draco had to begrudgingly admit that it fit perfectly.

 

-

 

The holiday passed too quickly for Draco. He didn't want to be back at Hogwarts with its stresses, he didn't want to go back to Umbridge's class. The only thing he was looking forward to was seeing Pansy and Blaise again. They passed through the wall at King's Cross Station, and he soon saw Pansy jumping up and down as an attempt to wave him down. He made his way to them, hugging them both.

 

"I know you wrote on your finest stationary," he said as he pulled away from Blaise. "I hope you were meeting your longing glance quota."

 

"It wasn't easy," Blaise said, smirking. "But somehow I achieved it."

 

"Good man," Draco said. Pansy scoffed at them. "And you," he looked at her accusingly. "Blaise sent me letters that smell like roses, what do you have to say for yourself?"

 

"Hey," she protested, "You can't blame me for not having pink paper. It's not like I knew it was a competition."

 

"At least you wrote," he said. "Fine, I forgive you."

 

"Thank you, oh merciful Draco." Pansy rolled her eyes at him and he just nudged her. "Let's get on the train before some first years start crying."

 

"I knew you missed me."

 

"Get over yourself, prat."


	13. Occlumency Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, back to the drama. I hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter's fluff because the action is really starting to pick up.

Even after the holiday, Harry looked like hell. There were dark circles under his eyes and he constantly looked like he was going to pass out. Even worse, the bandage on his hand didn't go away. Draco thought it was suspicious before break, but was able to amount it to some miscellaneous injury at first. After all, Harry was very good at getting into trouble. But he couldn't, in good conscience, continue to believe that. They were in DADA together, reading from the textbook. Draco was already finished with his reading and took the opportunity to work on ancient runes. Harry, on the other hand, was barely managing to keep his eyes open.

 

Hermione nudged him every five seconds, trying to do it discreetly as to not draw Umbridge's wrath. Harry had enough on his plate without more detentions from her. Draco periodically looked up from his ancient runes homework, checking in on Harry. When Umbridge dismissed them he breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Harry didn't get yet another detention.

 

"Mate, are you alright?" Ron asked as they walked to the Great Hall for lunch.

 

"I'm fine," he said, avoiding eye contact. "Just tired."

 

"Harry, as a friend, you're a terrible liar. You look like you haven't slept in days, and the fact that you're constantly nodding off whenever you get a chance is proof enough." Pansy said.

 

"How can we help?" Hermione asked, putting a hand on Harry's arm.

 

"It's no big deal," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Seriously, I just need a good night's rest and I'll be good as new."

 

"If you say so," Ron said. But he regarded Harry with a frown and furrowed brow, obviously not believing him.

 

"So," Harry started, quickly changing the subject. "Who's looking forward to potions?" The response was groaning in unison from everyone but Hermione.

 

"Don't remind me." Ron said, frowning.

 

"Harry how dare you." Draco said. "After all we've been through, you bring up one of our most hated classes."

 

"I didn't think you'd hate it." Hermione said. When Draco raised a brow at her statement, she just sighed. "Snape goes out of his way to compliment Slytherins, it's almost like he's your head of house or something." Hermione said. When Draco rolled his eyes, she laughed.

 

"Weird, right?" Pansy was grinning, looking at Hermione in a way that could only be described as conspiratorial. "It's almost like he was sorted into Slytherin when he went to Hogwarts."

 

"But that'd be crazy," Hermione said. "I mean, why would he prefer Slytherin anyways?"

 

"No idea," Ron said. Pansy punched his arm playfully, laughing when Ron pretended to be mortally wounded. When Harry laughed, Draco smiled slightly. Harry faced so much, it was good to know they could distract him from it occasionally. All too soon, they reached the Great Hall and had to split up to eat lunch. With promises to walk to class together after the break, they parted ways.

 

"So," Blaise said as they sat down. "We need to find out what's going on with Harry."

 

"I couldn't agree more." Draco said, filling his plate. Pansy nodded before drinking from her goblet. "Thoughts?"

 

"That bandage on his hand is strange," Blaise said. "He's hiding a lot from us, I don't like it." He said, lips pursed as he filled a bowl with tomato soup.

 

"He won't talk to us, obviously." Pansy said. She drummed manicured fingers on the table, biting her lip. But the glint in her eye told Draco all he needed to know about her intentions.

 

"You have a plan." He said, cutting a piece of ham into neat squares.

 

"He's very tired, we can use that to our advantage. We should wait until he's truly exhausted and then offer a shoulder, a kind ear to spill his troubles to. Better yet, let Hermione or Ron do that and simply listen. He might respond better that way." Pansy detailed her plan while tapping out a rhythm on the wood table. She glanced at Draco and Blaise briefly at the end before turning her eyes back to the Golden Trio.

 

"Can't we just slip veritaserum into his pumpkin juice?" Draco said, sighing.

 

"We could, but would he forgive us?" Blaise asked, pinning Draco with a disapproving look. Draco felt like a chastised child and shrugged.

 

"It's breaching his trust, and that simply wouldn't do." Pansy added, joining Blaise in scolding Draco with a look.

 

"It's not like I was being serious." He said. Draco was, of course, lying through his teeth. If his friends noticed, they said nothing. He wanted the situation resolved, to help Harry as quickly as possible. However, Draco had to admit that Pansy and Blaise were right. Harry was burned one too many times by people he trusted before, if they did it too they'd lose him. After all the work he'd put into their friendship with the three Gryffindors, Draco wasn't willing to risk it. Evidently Pansy and Blaise felt the same. He went back to eating, resigning himself to Pansy's plan and hoping they wouldn't be too late.

 

-

 

All it took for Harry to break was a particularly hard day with the DA. They'd been practicing with patronuses, and Harry was having a hard time himself producing one. That immediately set off warning bells with Draco. Harry struggled through the lesson, only getting more frustrated with each attempt. They ended the lesson quickly, promising to pick it back up the next day.

 

"Harry," Ron was the first to confront him. "What's going on?"

 

"It's nothing." He said, trying to dismiss their worry.

 

"No, it's not nothing." Hermione said. Harry's eyes were downcast, his arms crossed over his chest. Hermione huffed and stood her ground in front of him, refusing to give him any leeway. "We've all stood by and accepted your avoidance because we didn't want to pressure you. But I'm done with the small talk about weather and classes. Tell us something real."

 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked quietly, still refusing to meet Hermione's eyes.

 

"Why are you so tired all the time?"

 

"I…" His eyes flicked up quickly to meet Hermione's before he looked down again. The whole room seemed to stand still as he fumbled to respond. "I'm having nightmares."

 

"And?" Hermione prompted, hands on her hips. Harry sighed but didn't protest. Draco stood next to Pansy, who grabbed hold of his arm with one hand. He looked down briefly before his attention went back to Harry.

 

"I think I'm having visions about Voldemort." He said. "It's like, I can see through his eyes a lot." Harry started speaking quickly, as if he was afraid to stop once he started. "I don't know what it means and I don't want to know. I don't want to sleep, most of the time I get away with only a few hours sleep. I just don't know, what if I'm turning evil? What if I'm being possessed by Voldemort? What if everyone's right and I'm a monster?" Harry stopped finally, looking up at the group assembled in front of him.

 

"You're not a monster." Ron said, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder.

 

"I dreamed about your dad getting bitten by a snake. What if I caused it?"

 

"That's batty," Ron protested. "Besides, you saved his life."

 

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Hermione said, pulling Harry into a hug. "But you're not evil, Ron's right."

 

"I don't know what to do." He said, hugging her hesitantly after a moment. The three Slytherins stood on the fringe of the group, simply listening to Harry's confession. Ron joined the hug, and the three stood in silence for a few moments. Hermione pulled away and Ron followed quickly after.

 

"You should talk to Dumbledore." Hermione said.

 

"What? No." Harry said, glaring at Hermione. "That's never happening."

 

"Why?" She said, scowling at him. Pansy caught Draco's eye briefly, the hint of a smile on her lips. Her plan was working perfectly; Draco just knew she'd be smug about it for days.

 

"What if he thinks I'm crazy? What if he thinks I'm evil all of a sudden?"

 

"He won't," Ron said. "He trusts you, Harry. Don't you trust him?" The question hung in the air when Harry didn't answer immediately. It was a challenge, they all knew it. If Harry didn't trust him, he could be convinced to. If Harry did, then confiding in Dumbledore would be a no brainer.

 

"Of course I do." Harry said finally, nodding slightly. "I just don't want him to stop trusting me." It was a nice save, Draco thought. The trepidation in Harry's answer caught his attention. Why wouldn't he trust Dumbledore? Harry was Dumbledore's golden boy, what reason could the headmaster possibly have to turn against him? But fear wasn't rational, Draco knew that well.

 

"Then talk to him." Hermione said. "We'll go with you as moral support if you like."

 

"No, thanks," Harry said swiftly. "I can handle it."

 

"Promise us you'll go." Ron said.

 

"I," Harry sighed. "I promise."

 

-

 

Harry wasn't happy with the results of talking with Dumbledore. He was assigned Occlumency lessons with Snape, and his expression made Draco think he'd eaten a lemon before telling them. But there was relief in his face too; Harry could walk a little taller. It was as if a bit of his burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

 

"Look on the bright side." Draco said after Harry told them the news. "At least Snape can't insult your potion making skills if you're not making potions."

 

"That's truly a wonderful silver lining." Harry said, scowling at Draco. He shrugged in response, smirking slightly.

 

"You're welcome."

 

"Shit head," Harry grumbled underneath his breath.

 

"I'm sorry, what? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my optimism." Draco said, laughing when Harry shot him a withering glare.

 

"Boys, no fighting." Hermione said, separating the two by elbowing her way in between them. Harry laughed, and the sound made Draco mentally high five himself.

 

"He started it," Draco said. Whatever Harry mumbled in return was lost on Draco, as he couldn't hear him anymore. Hermione just nudged him, chuckling. Draco raised an eyebrow at the frizzy haired witch, who shrugged. He was about to ask her when his attention was drawn to Pansy and Ron laughing at something. Ron was watching her, cheeks flushed slightly. "That's interesting, isn't it?" Draco whispered to Hermione.

 

"Indeed," she whispered back. He had leaned in close to speak quietly with her, only noticing the lack of distance when he realized he could count the freckles on her nose. Draco immediately stepped back, blushing. It astounded him how easily their group went back to normal after what Harry just told them. Perhaps the normalcy was their attempt to make Harry feel, well, normal. Draco didn't think Harry got a lot of that after he came to Hogwarts. Being the chosen one was a one-way ticket to a land full of paparazzi and fame he never asked for. At least Draco dealt with it for his whole life, the Malfoys weren't exactly favored by the wizarding world. He knew how to play the game, how to keep his life private. He suspected Harry never got those lessons while living in the muggle world.

 

"We should go before anyone gets suspicious." Blaise said, grabbing his school bag. The others followed suit and made their way out of the Room of Requirement. They parted ways on the walk back to their respective dorms. Draco, Pansy, and Blaise walked in silence on their way back to the dungeons. But it wasn't the tense, heavy silence that followed them before. It was more comfortable, more companionable. It reminded Draco of easier times, before the entire wizarding world went insane.

 

Once in the common room, they settled in front of the fireplace in the wingback armchairs. They were plush and soft, with fine fabric and delicate embroidery. Draco shuddered to think of what the Gryffindor common room looked like. Would it be gaudy and eye searing? Probably. Did Draco ever want to find out? No. They took out their homework and began working in silence; the only sound was the scratching of quills on parchment. Draco concentrated on his arithmancy homework. He paused at a particularly difficult problem, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair.

 

"So," Pansy broke the silence. "Do you think Harry will actually talk to Dumbledore?"

 

"I'm not sure," Draco said. He put his quill down, grateful for the distraction. "On one hand, I don't think Hermione and Ron will let him get away without talking to him. On the other hand, I think Harry is very good at hiding his feelings. I mean, he's barely spoken about what happened in the Triwizard Tournament."

 

"He was heartbroken when they portkeyed back." Blaise said. He'd set down his quill too and fixed Draco with a thoughtful look. "Who could blame him?"

 

"Exactly!" Pansy said. She sighed and put a bookmark in her textbook. "I wish he'd just talk to us. If not us, someone he trusts."

 

"We can't force him." Draco said. Blaise nodded, lips pursed. "He's stubborn, the git."

 

"I'm just glad he finally confessed what was keeping him up at night." Pansy said. Draco hummed in response before picking up his quill again. The group fell back into their homework quietly. At least they were making progress with Harry, that much Draco was grateful for.

 

-

 

"You lack subtlety Mr. Potter, you don't understand fine distinctions." Harry repeated in a mockery of Snape's voice. "God he's such a pompous asshole."

 

"Just be glad he's at least trying to help." Hermione said, trying to console him. Harry had taken to complaining to them after his occlumency lessons. This was after lesson number three and Harry was truly starting to regret confiding in Dumbledore. Draco noticed how he had more energy as time went on, how he didn't look quite so tired. Maybe Harry was too caught up in how horrible Snape was, yet Draco saw he already benefitted. Perhaps Harry would see it too in time. The group was walking across the grounds outside after class on Friday. Their DA meeting was over, the patronus lesson going significantly better than last time. Most of them didn't manage to make more than little wisps; Harry was confident in them. He told them they'd get it soon, and it just took practice.

 

"That doesn't stop him from being an asshole." Harry said. Ron nodded in agreement eagerly. They were tromping through the snow, scarves tied and hats pulled over their ears. Well, the Gryffindors were wearing hats. Draco claimed it would make him look like an idiot and Pansy didn't want to mess up her hair. Blaise apparently lost his hat earlier in the year. Ron and Pansy were walking close together, talking with their heads bent close together. Hermione and Draco walked on the fringe of the group. When he saw the two of them getting friendly, Draco nudged Hermione. With a tilt of his head, he indicated to Ron and Pansy.

 

"Now this is just getting ridiculous." She said. "When do you think they'll realize they're pining for each other?" Hermione was speaking to him quietly, barely managing to suppress a smile.

 

"It could be a while." He said. "You never know when Ron will stop being so oblivious."

 

"Oh god," she groaned. "It could take them years!"

 

"Let's hope not." Draco said. He leaned away from Hermione, not wanting to draw Pansy's attention. If she saw them whispering together, he knew she wouldn't relent in her teasing. Hermione's brow was furrowed as she looked down at the snow. It looked as if she was in deep thought. About what, Draco had no idea. He walked next to her, figuring she'd stop thinking about it soon. But when she didn't say anything to him, he thought he could at least ask what she was so fixated on. "What's on your mind?"

 

"I just wanted to ask you a question." She said. Hermione caught his eye briefly before looking back to the sky. "Remember when you told me about what Lucius tried to do at the manor? You know, after you told him you didn't want to be a Death Eater." She shoved her hands in her pockets, her lips in a tight line. Draco remembered it well and almost wanted to change the subject. He knew he shouldn't have brought it up. This was probably the part where she offered her condolences, the part where she pitied him. Draco didn't want any of it. "Why did you say thank you?"

 

"I…" He had prepared himself to tell her off. Her simple question caught him off guard. She pinned him with a stare, clearly not intending to let him get out of answering. "I don't want anyone's pity. I was afraid you'd say you were sorry; I didn't want you to think you had to apologize for my father." Draco paused, unsure of what to say next. She was regarding him not with sadness, but with curiosity. "So when you were angry with Lucius, when you didn't apologize, I was relieved." He said. The honesty of it surprised Draco; he was never good at these sorts of touchy feely conversations. He preferred to bury his feelings, or hide them underneath layers of arrogance and insults.

 

"I couldn't even think of being sorry." She said after a moment. "I was just so furious, there was no room for anything else." Hermione said. She looked away from him, much to Draco's relief. He felt almost frozen by her gaze, like he couldn't get away from answering her.

 

"Thank you," he said. "I mean it." Draco touched her arm briefly, catching her by surprise. He pulled it back quickly, almost smirking at her expression. Hermione nodded in reply. They continued in silence, the comfortable kind.

 

-

 

Umbridge distracted the students of Hogwarts after classes one day as she cornered professor Trelawney. They gathered in a courtyard, whispering furiously amongst themselves as Umbridge reprimanded Trelawney.

 

"What's going on?" Pansy was standing on her tiptoes, trying to look over the crowd.

 

"I don't know," Draco said. All they could do was watch in relative silence as Umbridge continued her tirade.

 

"I find you to be inadequate. Your teaching method leaves much to be desired." Umbridge's high-pitched voice floated back through the courtyard. "There is no textbook, no order. The students read tea leaves instead of taking notes. As Hogwarts High Inquisitor, I have the authority to remove teachers. Consider this your dismissal." At that, the students seemed to be startled into silence. Trelawney's lip was quivering as she stood in front of Umbridge. She seemed so small compared to Umbridge, like she was just a bug under a microscope.

 

"You can't do this," she was on the verge of sobbing. "Hogwarts is my home!"

 

"I absolutely can." Umbridge said, seeming almost smug when Trelawney started to cry. Dumbledore made his way through the crowd, hurrying to step between Umbridge and Trelawney.

 

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked, seemingly calm. But the stiffness in his posture, the lack of humor in his eyes told Draco otherwise.

 

"I find Sybil Trelawney to be incompetent." Umbridge said. "I'm firing her."

 

"I see. Well, you are right. As Hogwarts High Inquisitor you can dismiss teachers. But you don't have the authority to force them to leave the castle. I'm afraid that power still lies with me, and I wish for professor Trelawney to continue living at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said. Umbridge's rage grew with every word, her fists clenched tight at her side.

 

"Very well," she said. "The minister will hear of this." With that, she spun on her heel and walked out of the courtyard. Students parted for her easily. Draco didn't blame them.

 

"Thank you," Trelawney said. Dumbledore nodded to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Slowly, the crowd dissolved. Harry was eager to get away from the scene, and he walked quickly from the snow covered courtyard. They followed him, not particularly wanting to see the professor cry.

 

"Can you believe her?" Ron was the first to comment. "She just thinks she's the queen of everything."

 

"Well, she is High Inquisitor." Pansy said, using air quotes around the title mockingly.

 

"It's ridiculous." Blaise said. Hermione looked absolutely livid and Harry wore a similar expression. Draco didn't really know where they were going until Harry led them to an abandoned corridor off the east side of the castle. It was then he realized they were going to the Room of Requirement. He raised an eyebrow at the realization and nudged Pansy, who nodded. Oh good, he thought, he wasn't the only one who knew. When they arrived, Harry did the required pacing and a door appeared soon. They made their through, making sure to close the door behind them.

 

Inside was a cozy room with a fireplace. Couches and armchairs were scattered about, and Draco settled on a couch with Hermione. He put his school bag on the ground next to it as everyone settled in. Draco wished a bottle of firewhisky would appear, but he wasn't sure the room worked like that.

 

"So," Pansy said. "How about this crazy weather?" She smiled when people laughed. If it was her goal to distract them, Pansy might just succeed.

 

"She's gone mad with power." Harry said, bringing their attention back to what happened with Trelawney.

 

"Yes, but how can we stop her?" Hermione said. They were certainly at a loss, Umbridge had the whole school under her thumb. She had groups of students acting as spies in a way, reporting disobedience to her. They didn't know who to trust most of the time; Draco, Pansy, and Blaise assembled a list of students, they knew of. But the list could grow every day, they just didn't know. Even Dumbledore had to begrudgingly go along with most of what she said.

 

"I don't know." Harry said quietly. He ran a hand through his wild hair, glaring at the wall.

 

"We'll figure it out." Ron said, trying to reassure him. Harry nodded but didn't look quite convinced. Draco didn't blame him, he had no idea how they'd do it either. There had to be a way, he thought. After all, Harry had faced down Voldemort in the past and succeeded. Surely they could defeat Umbridge. But every passing day left him with less and less hope.

 

"Okay, enough of this." Pansy said, clapping her hands together once. "The mood around here has been way too gloomy and I'm sick of it."

 

"Agreed," Ron said. Pansy stood up, looking around the room.

 

"Surely there has to be something fun in here." She pulled up couch cushions to look until a bottle of firewhisky appeared on the table. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

 

"Oh no, who wished for that?" Draco said, turning an accusing eye to the group.

 

"Well," Harry shot him a sheepish look. "I'm sorry?"

 

"At least it's Friday," Draco conceded. Pansy broke the seal and picked up the cups that appeared on the table as well. She started pouring shots for everyone and passed them out with Ron's help.

 

"Let's play a game!" She said excitedly, almost spilling her firewhisky. And, honestly, when she was so adorably excited, how could anyone refuse her? Draco took his cup with a sigh, listening to Pansy's rapid-fire list of suggestions. Hermione shook her head, chuckling. Draco barely held back laughter as the list grew more ridiculous. The Gryffindors listened in what seemed to be stunned silence. Draco and Blaise, however, were all too familiar with her antics. They shot each other a look, and Blaise just sighed. In light of all that had happened, Draco was simply glad for the distraction. He was glad to see that Harry was more back to his normal self. If anyone deserved some rest, it was him.

 

At least they could be there for him, for anyone in their tight knight group who needed help. That was the most surprising thing of all to Draco; he didn't want to trade it for anything.


	14. Found Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being so patient y'all!

Dumbledore almost seemed to thrive off of Umbridge's rage. Hiring Firenze as the new divination teacher was a clever way to insult her, Draco thought. Apparently Umbridge's frothy rage towards half-breeds didn't discourage Dumbledore in the least. Well, it wasn't like Umbridge was a particularly intimidating witch. How could anyone who preferred to read textbooks and have pictures of kittens in their office be intimidating?

 

According to Ron, Firenze was a better teacher than Trelawney. Draco was glad he wasn't taking divination, as it seemed to be a waste of time. Reading tealeaves, trying to predict the future, looking in crystal balls was all guess work in the end. What use was divination if it couldn't give him concrete answers? Draco sat at the desk in his dorm, tapping his quill against the dark wood. He had been trying to write a letter to Narcissa for about an hour, but he kept getting distracted.

 

First, Blaise was complaining about homework, not seeming to notice that Draco was barely paying attention. When he finally got the hint, he buried his nose in a book. A few minutes later, however, Blaise decided to go bother Pansy. Draco reminded him of his homework, only for his words to be met with a groan and a door closing. Well, he thought, that was one way to look at it.

 

Draco was barely into the letter, only a few sentences were written neatly on the page. Draco dipped his quill in the inkwell and started writing, not bothering to filter any of it. When he had almost filled the page he called it good and signed it at the bottom. He doubted Narcissa was truly interested in regular Hogwarts drama. She was still deep in the job search, and had moved into Grimmauld Place to help Sirius clean it up. It was short term, she said. Draco sealed the letter with wax and a stamp, getting up and grabbing his shoes before heading to the owlery.

 

He kept his head down as he walked through the hallways, hand gripping the letter tight. Usually, Draco didn't like to go anywhere without one of his friends. There were too many people who'd like to see him dead, and he was rather attached to living thank you very much. He concentrated on the click of his shoes against the stone floors and eventually found his way up the tower. Draco attached the letter to an owl and watched it fly out the window until it was little more than a dark blot on the horizon.

 

When he was too cold to ignore it, Draco made his way down the narrow stairway. It was after dinner, and night already was descending upon Hogwarts. The halls were desolate, which wasn't a surprise; it was, however, a blessing. Draco hated the feeling of being watched, of walking through a crowded room. For someone who was always starting shit, he really wasn't super fond of being the center of attention. Draco practically collapsed onto his bed, groaning into the pillow. School was insufferable, due in no small part to Umbridge.

 

Blaise chuckled from his bed. Draco looked up from the sheets, Blaise was reading by candlelight.

 

"Rough day?" Blaise asked, eyes meeting Draco's briefly before he turned his attention back to the book in his hands.

 

"More like a rough year." Draco said, rolling over. The forest green canopy had delicate silver lines twisting through the fabric, making gentle slopes of silver and green across it. The large window offering a view into the lake frightened Draco at first, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what lived in the bottom of the lake. It wasn't so bad; mostly mermaids came and peered into their room, occasionally tapping the glass with a clawed finger. Fish swam by in schools, and life went on as normal.

 

"Indeed," Blaise said, turning a page. Draco got up and changed into pajamas before getting under the covers. "Did you finish your DADA homework?"

 

"Did you?" He said, turning over on his side. Blaise was silent. "I'll take that as a no." He said, rolling his eyes when Blaise laughed. "You can copy mine. Don't say I never did anything for you." He threatened around a yawn. Blaise didn't say anything in reply. Draco's eyelids already felt heavy. Draco closed his eyes, falling asleep far faster than intended.

 

-

 

It wasn't until the end of the week, when confronted with a grim faced Harry, that Draco realized something was wrong. It was after class and after dinner, they were heading outside. Why? Draco really had no idea. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were all walking in a close cluster, whispering furiously amongst themselves. He shot an inquisitive look at Pansy, only to get a shrug in return. Blaise was similarly unhelpful. There were, of course, rumors floating around school but he knew they were almost never true. Harry held open the door for everyone as they emerged into the still chilly March evening.

 

"We have to tell you something." Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest. They were all walking together in a tight group around the grounds. If Umbridge caught them they'd all have detention, yet Draco couldn't bring himself to care. "Someone ratted us out."

 

"What?" Pansy was the first one to speak, the word practically nothing more than a whisper. "Who?"

 

"Marietta Edgecombe." Harry said, eyes fixed on the ground. "One of Cho's friends."

 

"Well, shit." Draco said. "How did you know?"

 

"The sign up sheet for the DA is charmed." Hermione said, looking a bit sheepish. "Well, I should probably say jinxed. The ink of her name went red, and she should have the word sneak on her forehead."

 

"That's actually rather brilliant." Harry said. Draco and Ron nodded in agreement.

 

"Wait," Pansy said. "What will happen when Umbridge finds out DA stands for Dumbledore's Army?" She said, and the group suddenly stopped.

 

"Oh shit," Harry said before turning on his heel and running back to the castle. Everyone turned and followed suit. If Dumbledore wasn't already en route to Azkaban, well, he probably would be soon enough. They sprinted through the corridors, groups of students parting for them as they made their way to Dumbledore's office. Someone had to warn him. Harry and the others skidded to a stop in front of the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office. "Lemon drops," he said and the gargoyle moved aside to let them pass.

 

The group made their way up the stairs in a single file line, the narrow staircase winding around until they got to his office. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, drinking tea and looking through a book of some sort.

 

"Ah, hello," he said, ever unflappable. "Do any of you care for a spot of tea?"

 

"Headmaster," Harry said, still slightly out of breath. "Umbridge knows about the DA, which stands for Dumbledore's Army. We made it because we needed—"

 

"I know." He said, interrupting Harry.

 

"You know?" Harry said, blinking owlishly at Dumbledore. "How?"

 

"I know a great many things, Harry, especially what goes on in Hogwarts."

 

"Oh," Harry said. The group stood there wordlessly, unsure of what to say. They'd been expecting some grand confrontation with Dumbledore, perhaps a little more drama when they confessed what they'd been doing in the Room of Requirement. Instead, Dumbledore was sipping tea and they were standing, staring dumbly at him.

 

"They're here now." He said. "You must hide." Dumbledore said, setting his teacup down on the saucer. He got up and walked towards a wall; with a wave of his wand it opened, revealing what appeared to be a crawlspace. One by one they crammed everyone in there. Dumbledore closed it with another wave of his wand and went back to sitting at the desk. There were some holes in the wall, cleverly concealed with a thin layer of wallpaper. Draco stood between Pansy and Hermione, grimacing at the way they were all packed in like sardines.

 

Hermione accidentally elbowed him, apologizing softly when she hit him square in the ribs. A group of aurors thundered up the staircase, throwing open the door to Dumbledore's office with a bit of a dramatic flair. Umbridge led them, smiling as aurors drew their wands. The minister, Fudge, approached Dumbledore's desk with his head held high.

 

"Were you aware of students willfully disobeying education mandates?" He said. Well, Draco thought, he cut right to the chase. "This club has been going on for months, right under our noses."

 

"I am the one responsible for it." He said, smiling. Even his smile had an edge to it. Draco knew he must've had something planned. When Fudge scoffed, Dumbledore raised a brow at the reaction. "It's called Dumbledore's Army, is it not? Would it be a great stretch of the imagination to implicate me in organizing it?"

 

"If that's the case, then we must take you to Azkaban. You knew the consequences and did it anyway, now you'll pay for it." Fudge said, puffing his chest out. He seemed very satisfied with himself, and Draco scowled.

 

"I do not intend to come quietly." Dumbledore said, any trace of humor gone in the face of the aurors advancing on him. "Cornelius, did you really think I would go to Azkaban? Sure, I could break out but that is a waste of time. Honestly, I have so many things to do and so little time." He said, raising his wand. Before anyone had a chance to react, Fawkes swooped down from his perch and whisked Dumbledore away in a flash of bright light.

 

"Find him!" Fudge said after spluttering for a moment. Umbridge, who had been grinning from ear to ear before looked to be on the verge of tears. "Search the castle!" He shouted before descending the stairs, Umbridge following close behind. The group waited, barely daring to breathe as a few aurors inspected the office. Eventually, they too left. Ron pushed against the wall until it opened, everyone practically fell out if it in their haste.

 

"Holy shit," Ron said. "Dumbledore's what, a fugitive now?"

 

"It's my fault." Hermione said softly, frowning at the ground. "The DA was my idea and now it's blown up in our faces."

 

"It's not your fault." Draco said, hesitating slightly before putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's Marietta Edgecombe's fault, she's the one who betrayed us."

 

"She wouldn't have betrayed us if I hadn't forced Harry to teach us!" She said, head snapping up to meet his gaze. Her eyes were slightly glassy with unshed tears. "I've screwed all of it up!"

 

"No, 'Mione," Ron said. "Draco's right." He had his arm around Harry, who was looking despondently at the wall. "This is no one's fault but Marietta's."

 

"I," she looked around the group. Everyone nodded back at her. "There's not much I can do about it now, is there?"

 

"No," Draco said, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "There isn't."

 

-

 

Umbridge took over as headmistress and remained Hogwarts high inquisitor, to the surprise of literally nobody. According to Harry, who spoke to Cho earlier that day, Marietta did it to protect her mother. Marietta's mother worked at the ministry, and Umbridge apparently threatened her job if Marietta didn't give them up. Draco certainly didn't envy her. Blemishes spelled out the word sneak across her forehead, just as Hermione said they would. Cho and Harry weren't speaking to each other on account of it. Harry's crush on Cho wasn't any of Draco's business either. Her really didn't want to hear about their relationship woes, or, he figured their lack of relationship after the fact.

 

Harry hurried off to occlumency lessons after dinner, leaving the rest of the group wandering the grounds outside. Hermione suggested going to the library to study again, but nobody really wanted to be cooped up inside. A cool breeze blew through the grounds; the evening was practically silent aside from their quiet conversation.

 

"I heard Fred and George are going to try and do something." Ron said, hands shoved in his pockets.

 

"Like what? Prank Umbridge to death?" Pansy said, scoffing at the thought. She paused slightly, looking at Ron briefly. "Or, actually that could be a good idea."

 

"It could make her resign." Hermione said. Draco walked next to her right side, Blaise on his right.

 

"The person they send to replace her could be worse." Draco pointed out. Hermione scowled, it seemed to be a permanent fixture on her face as of late. She shrugged in reply. "I don't want to know what could be worse than this."

 

"If we do nothing it will get worse." Ron said. Draco hummed in agreement. "I don't know." He said, sighing.

 

"None of us do, that's the problem." Hermione said. Draco nudged her elbow with his, offering her a slight smile. She returned the gesture, but quickly went back to being deep in thought. Draco shook his head, running a hand through his hair. There wasn't a lot they could do, he supposed. Maybe the twins had some ideas; Draco didn't really want to get in on that, he knew too well that the twins were merciless.

 

-

 

Harry was more than a little twitchy the next morning, dark circles prominent under his eyes. Draco wasn't happy about that development to say the least. No, it wasn't like nobody had put in any effort to fix that particular problem. He caught Pansy's across the table at breakfast, and she sighed. Blaise was similarly curious, keeping an eye on Harry all through breakfast. They had potions immediately after breakfast, so they caught up with the Gryffindors in the hall.

 

"Oh good, maybe you can talk some sense into him." Hermione said, glaring at Harry. Draco raised a brow, looking between the two.

 

"It's nothing, really." Harry insisted, running a hand through unruly hair. "Don't worry about it."

 

"That's what you said last time, before you started occlumency lessons." Draco said. Harry shot him a look, but Draco didn't look away.

 

"Occlumency happens to be the problem this time around." Harry muttered. He froze when he realized what he'd said. He pursed his lips before sighing. "I might have accidentally got a look into Snape's memories last night."

 

"Oh," Blaise said. "What's so bad about that? Unless it was some deep dark secret or something."

 

"That's the thing," Harry said. "I think it was. At least, I was never supposed to know."

 

"What happened?" Hermione asked, all harshness in her voice from before gone.

 

"I looked in his pensieve, and I saw…" He trailed off, unsure of how to explain it. "It must've been from back when Snape was in Hogwarts. My father was bullying him. My mother intervened and Snape called her a mudblood. I think they were friends before? I'm not sure."

 

"Well," Ron said. "That explains a lot." He said. Draco wasn't sure what to say. Nobody seemed keen on filling the silence. So they walked to class in their usual tight cluster, and took their seats at the back of the room. Snape walked in a few minutes later, black robes billowing behind him. The door slammed shut behind him as he approached his desk.

 

"Page two hundred and twelve," he said, writing a few things on the chalkboard at the front of the class. Draco hurried to open his book, looking at the unfamiliar potion. "Does anyone know why we would use unicorn hair in this potion instead of unicorn horn?" He said, his frown deepening when nobody raised their hand. "How about you, Mr. Potter?" Snape said. Harry froze in his seat, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. It was nothing they'd ever studied, and Draco knew why. It seemed Snape wanted some sort of revenge from yesterday.

 

"I'm not sure, sir." Harry said finally. "I don't think we've ever studied this potion."

 

"If you cracked open your textbook outside of class for once in your life you'd know." Snape said curtly before moving seamlessly into a lecture. Every so often he'd called on Harry with the most outlandish questions he could think of, deducting points from Gryffindor every time Harry failed to answer. By the end of class Harry was in an even worse mood, practically throwing things in his bag quickly before turning on his heel and leaving. He didn't wait for any of the group to catch up. Draco followed everyone else, trying to catch up with Harry in the hall.

 

"Where did he go?" Hermione said as they made their way down the hall. Of course, spotting him through the crowd turned out to be more difficult that expected. "It's no use now. I'll see you in DADA?" She said, turning to face Draco expectantly. Draco nodded before everyone went their separate ways to class. He only hoped Harry wouldn't get himself into too much trouble in the meantime.

 

-

 

The prank war on Umbridge started subtly. Well, as subtly as Fred and George could stand to be. Umbridge's belongings started to disappear one by one; first it was her quills, then her inkpots, and then even a few things from her office started to disappear. She was on a furious search to discover the thieves when her clothes were all charmed to be orange instead of pink. Apparently half of Gryffindor house, along with some Ravenclaws, and even a few Slytherins were involved. How Draco got involved with it, he couldn't really say.

 

Their latest heist was sneaking into her office to charm her paintings of kittens to sing obnoxious pop songs instead of meow. It was rather brilliant, in a scary sort of way. Draco was keeping a lookout while Hermione and Fred charmed the cats. On the other side of the castle, Ron, Blaise, Pansy were causing a diversion with George's assistance. It had something to do with the sets of armor on display, which was all Draco knew. Harry was in his dorms, hopefully sleeping. Ever since Snape ended their occlumency lessons, Harry struggled to improve the skill on his own. It was better than it used to be, certainly, but they all knew he wasn't getting enough sleep.

 

"Is it clear?" Hermione asked.

 

"Yes," he said. Fred and Hermione emerged from the office, and Draco was surprised to hear nothing but silence in Umbridge's office. He raised a brow, and Fred grinned in response.

 

"It only works when she's in there. Otherwise, they're just normal paintings." Fred said as they practically sprinted down the hall, not wanting to be caught by Umbridge.

 

"Good idea." Draco said as they veered left into another hall. Hermione was smiling wide for the first time in a week, and if the sight made Draco blush he could at least blame his red cheeks on running.

 

-

 

"It's not a good idea." Hermione's arms were crossed over her chest. "You'll get caught!"

 

"You were in there just a few days ago!" Harry shouted back. "I need to talk to him. With everything going on, I just need to know Sirius and Remus are okay."

 

"What will you do if she finds out?" Hermione said. They were in a courtyard outside after dinner. Only a moment ago Harry told them what Fred and George found out about the floo in Umbridge's office. It wasn't monitored, but that wasn't really a surprise. "She already hates you."

 

"So what?" Harry said, throwing his hands in the air. "I don't care. I just need to talk to them for five minutes. Besides, Fred and George promised to help me." He said. Hermione didn't say anything back, deciding instead to glare at him silently. "Five minutes, that's all I want."

 

"Fine," she said. "It's your funeral."

 

-

 

Fred and George did indeed help Harry sneak in, but they were caught. Harry apparently managed to get out in time, but it wasn't something he'd be trying again. Fred and George were expelled; it didn't seem to faze them. They had plans to open a shop in Diagon Alley. Molly wasn't pleased to say the least, but she seemed relieved they had a plan. Draco heard it all secondhand over dinner from Pansy. How she found out before him, Draco really didn't want to know.

 

-

 

In spite of everything, Pansy and Ron managed to be even more moony than Draco previously thought possible. They kept shooting each other these looks, and it really was starting to grate on Draco's nerves. He was honestly contemplating locking them both in the Room of Requirement for a solid few hours until they figured it out. Draco and Blaise managed to corner Pansy after class that day, whisking her away to the Slytherin common room before they got to the Great Hall.

 

"Something happened with you two." Blaise said as she sat down on a plush couch.

 

"What are you talking about?" She said, fiddling with her necklace.

 

"Don't play dumb, we know you have a crush on Ron." Draco said, standing in front of her with arms crossed. Pansy rolled her eyes at him.

 

"Okay, fine, I do. So what?" She said.

 

"There's more to it, isn't there?" Blaise said as he sat down next to her. "Come on, you know you can trust us."

 

"Ugh, fine." She said as she smoothed wrinkles from her robes. "We might have kissed."

 

"So you definitely kissed." Draco said, sitting in an armchair across from them.

 

"Okay, we did. Now we might be dating? I don't know."

 

"How do you not know?" Draco said. Blaise shook his head, chuckling. "That seems to be a bit of an oversight."

 

"It happened really quickly! Then he said good night and went to the Gryffindor common room." Pansy said. She was twiddling her thumbs and biting her lip. "How do you even ask something like that?"

 

"Just ask him! You know you can't hint with any of those Gryffindors." Blaise said, nudging her ribs with his elbow.

 

"I hate it when you're right." Pansy said, pouting at him.

 

"I know." Blaise said, winking at her. She punched his arm playfully. Draco rolled his eyes and relaxed into the chair. After Fred and George left Hogwarts, the resistance died down just a little. According to Ron, however, the twins were planning on sending prototypes from their shop in the mail to help out. Draco was both excited and afraid. He really didn't want to leave this room. The chair was so comfy, was food even that necessary? He groaned when Pansy poked him, refusing to open his eyes.

 

"Come on," she tugged on his arm. "You're so lazy!"

 

"I hate you." He said, opening his eyes and letting her help pull him up. Pansy rolled her eyes, patting his back gently.

 

"I know, Draco dear."


	15. Civil Disobedience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone still following this is the best omg :))

There was something utterly satisfying about Umbridge's pinched expression as she walked down the halls. Things were getting out of control rapidly, and Umbridge was having quite a bit of trouble catching the perpetrators. Virtually everyone in the student body was in on the revolt. From refusing to attend her classes to throwing their books in the lake, everyone was doing something. Fred and George were supporting them from a distance, sending weekly deliveries of new products from their shop.

 

Draco shouldn't have been surprised to hear Harry gave them his winnings from the Triwizard Tournament, and yet. He was glad of it, as it meant a whole lot of mischief in their favor. Harry was still bristling after yesterday, understandably so. It was career advice day and Umbridge basically told him he'd never be an auror. Unfortunately for her, that led to McGonagall turning all her barbed insults on her.

 

How Draco found himself in an all out prank war, siding with Gryffindors of all people, he'd never know. Hermione and Harry had been whisked away by Hagrid earlier in the day, leaving Blaise and Draco to amuse themselves. Ron and Pansy were gone too, leaving Draco to hope they were getting over their disgusting moony phase. The sighs, the lingering looks, the handholding was getting to be too much for him.

 

"Hey," Blaise said, nudging him. "Let's take a walk." He said. Draco sighed as he shut his book, shooting a frown at Blaise. "We've been cooped up all day."

 

"Your point?" Draco asked as he shrugged on a cloak. Blaise didn't say anything in return, handing Draco his shoes instead. He took them with a glare before putting them on. Blaise stepped back, leaning against the wall; when Draco finished, they headed out of the dorms together. It was just past lunch on a Saturday, so most everyone was back in their dorms. Draco and Blaise walked through the courtyard just outside the Great Hall in silence. Draco wondered if there was a point to this; knowing Blaise, there probably was.

 

"So," Blaise started, pausing to look at Draco. Draco nodded at him, gesturing for him to continue. "My parents want me to take the dark mark, and if Pansy's parents hear about this thing with Ron they'll force her to get one too."

 

"Oh," Draco said, at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say, there really wasn't much he could suggest. Not everyone had a mother like Narcissa. "What are you going to do?"

 

"I don't know." Blaise said, running a hand over his shaved head. "It makes sense, I suppose. What better way to prove their loyalty?"

 

"You don't have to do everything they tell you." Draco said quietly, hesitantly linking his arm through Blaise's. "It's hard, believe me." Draco paused when Blaise leaned into him as they walked. "He can't have you, or Pansy."

 

"Would you do it again?" Blaise asked, catching Draco's eye briefly.

 

"Yes," Draco said, holding his gaze. "That choice has led me down a path I can't regret." He said. Blaise nodded slightly. They paused as they exited the courtyard into a wide grassy field. "I'll be with you no matter what."

 

"I know." Blaise said, squeezing Draco's hand. They started walking again, heading towards the lake. As they approached the lake Hermione, Harry, and Hagrid came rushing out of the woods. Draco quirked a brow at them while Blaise unlinked their arms, waving to catch the other group's attention. Hagrid waved back but headed to his hut instead of meeting them. Harry and Hermione rushed over to them, looking to be deep in thought.

 

"What's going on?" Draco asked when they were in earshot. Harry and Hermione looked at each other briefly. Hermione turned to them, frowning.

 

"Hagrid thinks Umbridge will send him away, and he has a half brother hidden in the Forbidden Forest. He wants us to take care of Grawp when he's gone." Hermione explained quickly, not pausing for breath until she finished. Draco hummed in response trying to hide his surprise.

 

"It's not like we have enough to worry about on top of everything else." Blaise grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

"It's not his fault Umbridge is a bigot." Harry protested, glaring at Blaise. Hermione looked similarly pissed off.

 

"I didn't say that." Blaise said, holding Harry's stare. "It just sucks is all."

 

"Hopefully it won't come to that." Hermione said. Draco nodded in agreement. "With how things are going, I wouldn't be surprised." Hermione sighed, rubbing her temples. "How did everything get so messed up?" She said, barely louder than a whisper.

 

"We'll fix it." Harry said, shooting a look at Draco. Draco met his eyes, nodding ever so slightly. "We always do."

 

"I hope you're right." Hermione said, smiling slightly at the boys. Draco offered her a smile back, not knowing what else to do.

 

-

 

Draco was feeling rather confident as he walked out of his last O.W.L exam of the day, surrounded by his friends. Ron was fretting over his divination exam, and Harry was rubbing his eyes. It seemed his insomnia wasn't getting any better, and Snape wouldn't be helping him any time soon. Hermione looked confident, and Draco had no reason to doubt her scores would be anything less than perfect. Pansy and Ron were walking arm in arm at the front of the group, leaving the rest of them trailing behind. Pansy was doing her best to cheer him up, and it seemed to be working.

 

Draco rolled his eyes at their backs, gesturing to them with one hand when Hermione shot him a questioning look. She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

 

"Absolutely ridiculous," Draco whispered to her. Hermione nodded in agreement. The group parted ways at the Great Hall, going to their respective tables to eat dinner. Umbridge looked unusually cheery sitting at the professor's table. He hadn't seen her smile like that since that day in Dumbledore's office when he disappeared. According to Harry, Dumbledore was with the Order of the Phoenix. Still, it was unsettling to see her so happy. Blaise frowned at him, inclining his head towards Umbridge.

 

"I don't like it." He said. Pansy glanced at the table before nodding.

 

"Nobody does." Draco said. Pansy sighed, barely picking at her food. Blaise followed suit, sparing one last glance at Umbridge. There was nothing to be done, not until they knew more. The thought didn't comfort him in the slightest.

 

-

 

The next morning found Draco skipping DADA with his friends. Harry, Hermione, and Ron rushed them away from the hall, lips pursed. Their faces were grim, there was something going on but Draco didn't know what. When they finally got out to the grounds, Harry turned to face the rest of them.

 

"I don't know how to put this so I'll just say it." Harry said, pausing to take a deep breath. "Hagrid's gone, and McGonagall is in St. Mungo's." He said. Pansy gasped, one hand clasped over her mouth. Draco's mouth was dry, he felt incapable of moving. What the hell was even going on anymore? "Umbridge tried to evict Hagrid last night, but he escaped when McGonagall defended him."

 

"She can't get away with this!" Hermione said, fists clenched.

 

"That's not all." Harry said, stopping her before she could rant. Hermione stilled, eyes flickering to him. Ron put his hand on Harry's shoulder, clearly concerned. "I had a vision last night. Sirius is being tortured in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry."

 

"No," Draco breathed the word, eyes wide. If the Ministry discovered Sirius at Grimmauld Place, Narcissa was surely captured too. "Did they find my mother with him?"

 

"No, she was with the Weasleys when he was taken." Harry said. Draco swallowed past the lump in his throat, trying to calm the wild pounding of his heart. "We have to get him back."

 

"Harry," Hermione said. "What if it's a trap? Voldemort could be messing with your mind, like he did before."

 

"What if it's not?" Harry whirled on her. "I'm not leaving Sirius behind."

 

"I'm not asking you to." Hermione said, putting a hand on Harry's arm cautiously. "We just need to think this through."

 

"You could use the floo to speak with him." Pansy suggested. Harry glanced at her, nodding. "If he doesn't answer we can contact the Order of the Phoenix."

 

"Good idea." Ron said, shooting her a small smile. Pansy smiled back at him, blushing slightly. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes at them.

 

"We'll do it tonight." Harry said. "There's no time to waste."

 

-

 

Harry and Hermione were the ones to go while Ron kept watch outside the room. Draco, Pansy, and Blaise were at the end of the hall keeping a lookout. They'd gotten there shortly after dinner, figuring Umbridge wouldn’t return to her office at the end of the day. A half hour passed with no disruption, but Harry and Hermione still hadn't come out of the room. Draco was starting to relax when the sound of heels clicking on the floor caught his attention. Pansy's face went pale when Umbridge rounded the corner at the end of the hall.

 

The three of them turned and sprinted down the hallway as quietly as they could, intent on warning their friends. Draco opened the door, wincing when the hinges squeaked. Harry was staring into the floo, face blank. Hermione had a hand on his shoulder, as if she was trying to console him.

 

"She's coming." Draco said. Harry's head snapped up at the sound of Draco's voice. "We need to get out of here." He said. Hermione helped Harry to his feet; they hurried to the door, which Draco opened carefully. Umbridge still hadn't come to this hall, so he slipped out of her office quickly. Pansy, Blaise, and Ron came out behind him. Harry hesitated on the threshold, Hermione right behind him. Draco turned, trying to urge him on when Umbridge rounded the corner. She paused mid step, staring at the group.

 

"Go," Harry said quietly. "I'll distract her."

 

"No," Hermione said. "I'm not leaving you."

 

"Go!" He shouted, pushing Ron into Pansy. Consequently, the rest of them stumbled. Umbridge was shocked out of her stupor, drawing her wand. Draco took off at a run, grabbing Blaise's hand as they escaped down the corridor. Pansy was dragging a struggling Ron along, who wanted nothing more than to face Umbridge together with Harry and Hermione.

 

"We can't abandon them!" Ron protested, trying to yank his hand out of Pansy's grip.

 

"We have to find help." Pansy said, unusually calm. Ron opened his mouth to protest more, but Pansy cut him off before he could speak. "Trust me," she said as they rounded a corner. "We'll get them out of this." She said. Ron nodded slowly, pacified for now. Draco led them through the halls, not knowing where to go. As they rounded another corner, he smacked into someone. They were both knocked flat on their asses in the middle of the hall.

 

Luna Lovegood was on the floor in front of him, looking as shocked as he did.

 

"Fancy meeting you here." She said as Ginny helped Luna to her feet.

 

"What's going on?" Neville asked.

 

"Umbridge caught Harry and Hermione in her office trying to use the floo." Draco said in a rush, still breathing heavily. "He told us to run, we have to find help."

 

"Oh," Ginny said, blinking slowly. Ron and Pansy were still holding hands, knuckles turning white from the tight grip. "What do we do?"

 

"Sirius is in the Ministry, we have to get there." Ron said. Luna smiled, looking at them dreamily as ever.

 

"I've an idea on how to get there, we just need to get them back." Luna said. "Follow me." She said before turning on her heel. They followed her across the grounds, stopping shortly after they reached Hagrid's hut. "We'll use thestrals." She said, motioning to empty space.

 

"You can see them?" Blaise asked, staring at her disbelievingly.

 

"Yes," she said, her face betraying nothing. Draco shot a look at Pansy, warning her not to ask. She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

 

"What now? We can't just wait here." Ron said, looking back at the castle.

 

"What do you suggest? I'm sure she has aurors in there by now." Draco said. Ron sputtered, glaring at Draco. "It won't help them if we get caught too."

 

"It doesn't feel right, just leaving them." Ron said, scowling at Draco. Draco opened his mouth to argue when three figures crossing the field caught his attention. He pointed at them, silencing whatever Ron was about to say. Pansy and Ron turned to see who it was, staring in disbelief as Umbridge, Harry, and Hermione walked across the field.

 

"Everyone hide." Ginny urged them. They went around the hut, pressing themselves to the wall. They watched carefully as Umbridge led Harry and Hermione into the Forbidden Forest, keeping her wand raised the entire time. When they disappeared into the forest, Ron came out of cover.

 

"I'm going after them." He said.

 

"I'll come with you." Draco offered, holding a hand up when Pansy started protesting. "Everyone else stay here, we'll be back soon."

 

"You can't ask me to let you do this." Pansy said, catching his arm as he started walking away.

 

"I’m not asking, Pans." He said quietly, pulling his arm out of her grip.

 

"Be careful." Pansy whispered before pulling him into a hug. Draco nodded as she stepped back. She kissed Ron swiftly, murmuring something in his ear as she pulled away. Ron and Draco drew their wands, walking into the Forbidden Forest together. It wasn't hard to find them, as Umbridge loved to hear herself talk. They followed at a distance, trying to keep quiet. Eventually the three of them stopped in a small clearing; Ron and Draco hid behind tree trunks, watching the scene unfold in front of them.

 

"Where's this weapon of Dumbledore's?" She demanded, advancing on them quickly. Harry stepped in front of Hermione. "Well?" Umbridge raised her wand. Before Harry could say anything, a herd of centaurs stampeded through the underbrush. "Filthy half breeds!" She shouted before throwing a hex at one of them. That was a mistake. The centaurs whirled on her, one of them grabbing her and carrying her away. She screamed as they dragged her through the forest. Harry and Hermione looked on in shock. Draco emerged into the clearing, Ron hot on his heels.

 

"Let's go before they come back!" Draco said. Harry and Hermione looked even more shocked to see them than seeing Umbridge dragged off.

 

"How did you find us?" Hermione asked as they ran back to where everyone else was waiting.

 

"Umbridge makes a lot of noise." Draco said. Hermione laughed as they emerged from the forest. Their friends came out from behind Hagrid's hut. They met in the middle in a rush of excitement and relief.

 

"Thestrals?" Harry asked, looking to them for an explanation. Draco shrugged while Blaise pointed at Luna.

 

"We've got to get to the Ministry somehow." She said as if it was obvious.

 

"You're brilliant." Harry said, clapping her on the back once. "All right, let's go." He said before approaching the space where Draco assumed the thestrals were standing. Luna and Harry helped everyone aboard, seeing as they were the only ones who could actually see them. "Listen," Harry said as he got on a thestral. "Nobody has to do this except for me."

 

"Don't be stupid." Ginny said, sitting behind Luna on a thestral, arms wrapped around her girlfriend. "We're not letting you do this alone."

 

"You're stuck with us." Ron said, nodding to his friend. Harry smiled for a short moment.

 

"Okay," he said. "Let's go."


	16. Exit Strategy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally... the moment you've all been waiting for

It was after dark when they reached the ministry. Thankfully, the employees were starting to vacate the building in favor of heading home. Hermione opened the doors with a spell after the last person left and locked the doors behind them. The ministry was creepy at night, with its empty hallways and flickering candles. They got in an elevator, just barely fitting. Harry put them down to level nine.

 

"It's not too late for anyone to turn back." Harry said when the elevator doors opened.

 

"Harry," Ron said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "No offense, but you're an idiot if you think we're leaving you alone to face this." He said. Harry offered him a small grin before turning on his heel, leading the way through the hall. The hall was narrow and black, with nondescript black doors on either side.

 

"Just where are we going, exactly?" Neville asked, looking around nervously.

 

"The hall of prophecy, that’s where Voldemort has him." Harry said before stopping in front of the door at the end of the hall. He took a deep breath before opening the door. On every side there were shelves filled with foggy orbs. Each orb had a plaque beneath it with a name. He supposed this was the hall of prophecy. "Come on, it's this way." Harry said, speeding up to a jog. They followed when he turned a corner, going to the end of the row. "It can't be," Harry whispered. "This is where he's supposed to be!" He said, pointing to an empty space in front of him.

 

"It was a trap." Hermione said. Harry shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Wait," she said, squinting at one of the orbs. "This one has your name on it."

 

"What?" Harry whirled around, staring at the orb. Very carefully, he picked it up. Suddenly, Death Eaters appeared from the shadows. Draco raised his wand, stepping back into the group. The rest followed suit, and they stood back to back ready to defend themselves. Twelve figures materialized from the darkness, surrounding them. In an instant, their masks were gone and Draco froze as his father stared back at him.

 

"Draco dear, it's been quite some time." Lucius said, smirking. Draco's hand shook, but he refused to put down his wand. "Surely we can talk this over like civilized people." Lucius said as he lowered his wand. "There's no need for violence, simply give us the prophecy." He motioned to the orb Harry held in a tightly clenched fist.

 

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, pulling the orb out of Lucius' reach. Draco heard everything as though it was very far away, his mind miles away from the ministry.

 

"Oh dear me, it seems you fell for it." Lucius said, clearly amused. "I don't know where he is, but he's not here." Lucius said. Lucius was there, and Draco never felt more certain that he was going to die. "I'll ask nicely once more: give us the prophecy."

 

"Reducto!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand at the shelves surrounding him. Everyone followed suit, making everything turn into a pile of rubble. The falling glass distracted the Death Eaters well enough while Ginny led them down the hall. Specters emerged from the broken orbs, uttering their prophecies for a final time. Draco was frozen to the spot, until he felt someone tugging on his hand. Hermione held his hand tightly, pulling him from his stupor. He stumbled before running down the hall with her. Harry, Hermione, Draco, Pansy, and Neville were separated from the group when a Death Eater appeared behind them. Hermione threw him back into the shelf.

 

Harry opened the door at the end of the hall, ushering everyone through. He slammed it closed behind them before locking it. Hermione still held his hand tight, much to his relief. The omnipresent pressure was a reminder to stay in the present.

 

"Shit," Pansy said. "We have to find the others!"

 

"I know," Harry said, eyes on the ground. He opened his mouth to speak when someone started pounding on the door. Harry whirled around, his wand raised. "Go, I'll keep them distracted." He commanded. Pansy led them away, and Draco silenced Hermione's protest with a sharp tug. As they rounded a corner, the door opened in a burst of splinters. They ran with no idea of where to go. They went round a corner, only to stop quickly when they saw Lucius at the end of the hall.

 

"Oh my, seems you're in trouble." Lucius said as he approached them leisurely. No. No, this wasn't happening. Draco didn't want to kill his father, he didn't know if he could. "I tried playing nicely, but it seems the only thing you simpletons understand is force." He said, and with a flick of his wand he had Neville firmly in his grip, wand pointed at his throat. "Where is Harry Potter?"

 

"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione shouted, hitting Lucius square in the chest. Neville barely managed to avoid being forced to the ground with him. The group ran again down the hallway, finally emerging into the hallway they'd started in. At that moment, the other half of their group, led by Harry, burst through another door. They pointed their wands at each other for a tense moment before realizing they'd been reunited.

 

"Come on!" Harry said, running to a door on the opposite end of the hall. Everyone followed and Luna sealed the doors behind them. Ron was bleeding from a gash above his eyebrow, which Pansy immediately took to mothering. They were in the middle of a circular room, with an arched doorway on a platform in the center. The space in the doorway shimmered, but Draco couldn't deny the dread that came from simply looking at it. Harry was scouting out the room, orb still held tightly in his hand. "There's no way out from here."

 

"Then this is where we make our stand." Ginny said. Ron nodded. Before anything else could be said, there was a banging on the door. They whirled on it, wands raised. Hermione squeezed Draco's hand once, and he responded. The door burst open in a shower of splinters, the Death Eaters blocking the entrance. They fought with all they had, hexes and curses flying everywhere. Draco pushed Hermione out of the way of a particularly nasty looking one, barely having time to dodge a curse meant for him.

 

"Look out!" Draco shouted to Luna, wincing when she fell flat on the floor. Ginny screamed and rushed to her side, slinging her arm over her shoulder. Draco covered them as they went for cover by a wall.

 

"Give it up!" Lucius demanded, advancing on Harry. Harry threw the orb to Neville, who caught it barely in time. At that moment, members of the Order of the Phoenix apparated into the room.

 

"We've got this, get your friends and get out of here." Remus said to Harry, who nodded. Neville put the prophecy in his pocket, wincing when it fell through a hole and broke into a thousand tiny pieces. He went pale, but Harry just shook his head. Some of the Death Eaters tried to flee when Dumbledore appeared. Bellatrix was casting a curse aimed for Harry when Sirius tackled her. Suddenly he was thrown off and into the doorway. He dissolved into nothing as he passed through it. Harry opened his mouth in a silent scream, only held back by Remus.

 

"We have to get him back!" He shouted, struggling against him.

 

"He's gone, Harry." Remus said, trying to soothe him. Harry broke free, chasing after Bellatrix as she tried to make her escape. Draco tried to go after them, but was stopped by a curse. He fell to his knees, hand flying to a cut on his stomach. Hermione was beside him in an instant, her hand hovering hesitantly above the wound.

 

"Go, make sure he's safe." Draco said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

 

"I won't leave you, you can't ask me to do this." Hermione said, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

 

"I'm not asking." Draco said, catching her eye. "He needs you." He said. Hermione wiped her eyes before leaning in. Draco froze when her lips met his hesitantly. She started pulling back when he didn't respond, but he put a hand on the back of her neck. His lips moved against hers gently, slowly. He pulled back after a moment, kissing the corner of her mouth before fully leaning away.

 

"For luck?" She said, squeezing his hand once before getting up. Draco watched her go, and healed himself with a spell. Alastor helped him to his feet. The remaining people made their way back to the elevator, taking it up to the first floor. Draco ran into the atrium, wand at the ready. The blood left his face when he realized what he was seeing. The rest of the Death Eaters were gone, but Voldemort was dueling Dumbledore in the atrium.

 

"Holy shit." He said, coming to a stop beside his friends. Pansy hummed in agreement, watching with wide-eyed surprise. The front doors burst open, Cornelius Fudge at the head of a team of aurors. At that moment, Voldemort escaped through a floo.

 

"Good god," Cornelius whispered. "He's back."

 

-

 

"I don't know how to say this." Draco said. They were stuck in the infirmary until further notice by order of Madame Pomfrey. Harry sat despondent on his bed. Draco had woken up during the night, only to find that Harry still hadn't slept. "I'm sorry." He knelt in front of Harry, placing a hesitant hand on top of his.

 

"It's not your fault." Harry said, his voice rough. "I should've been able to stop her."

 

"No, you can't do that to yourself." Draco insisted, squeezing Harry's hand tightly. "Blame Bellatrix, but never blame yourself."

 

"If I hadn't been lured into his trap, he'd still be alive."

 

"You couldn't have known it was a trap."

 

"Hermione said it was from the very beginning; I should've listened to her." Harry said, eyes fixed on the wall. Draco shook his head.

 

"I'm sorry." Draco whispered, his words barely audible.

 

"Go to sleep, Draco." Harry said softly. Draco nodded, squeezing Harry's hand one more time before going back to bed.

 

-

 

He woke up again with the heavy weight of something on his chest. Draco looked down, smiling when he saw Hermione reading a book.

 

"You're finally up." She said, putting her book on the nightstand. "Everyone else has been cleared, but I wanted to wait for you."

 

"Thanks." Draco said. Hermione nodded before getting up. She offered a hand to Draco, which he took gratefully. "So, are we going to talk about it, or should I just kiss you again?" He asked. Hermione rolled her eyes before tugging on his shirt and pressing her lips to his. They broke away, resting their foreheads together.

 

"We'll be okay." She reassured him before pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

 

"I know." He said, though he didn't know who they were trying to convince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's a wrap for part 2, stay tuned for the final part of this story: part 3!


	17. The Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we are getting very close to being done i'm so proud

_"No spiritual Caesars are these dead;_

_They want no proud paternal kingdom come;_

_And when at last they blunder into bed_

_World-wrecked, they seek only oblivion."_

— Sylvia Plath, "The Dead"

 

** Part Three: Diminuendo **

There was nothing to say, when it was all over. Harry was quietly morose; nobody could talk to him. In his mind, Sirius was dead because of him. Over the course of a few days, they eventually stopped trying to convince him. He'd been called up to Dumbledore's office earlier that morning, and they were passing their time in a courtyard outside. Ron and Pansy were on a bench, cuddled up together. Hermione leaned on a tree in the middle of the courtyard, standing next to Draco. Surprisingly, Luna, Ginny, and Neville joined them. Blaise was sitting with Neville on another bench, while Luna and Ginny were sitting together on the ground.

 

If Pansy kept sending him knowing looks he was going to strangle her. She knew about the kiss, as did Blaise. Draco figured there was no reason to tell anyone else, it really wasn't their business. Luna and Ginny's heads were bent together, furiously whispering amongst the two of them. Pansy looked at him again, waggling her eyebrows. Draco scowled at her in response.

 

"He's been in there a while." Ron said eventually, breaking the silence. Draco nodded in agreement. "What do you think they're talking about?"

 

"Who knows?" Pansy shrugged. "Those two are about as cryptic as they come." She said. Draco hummed in reply, rolling his eyes when she smirked. He should've never told her, Pansy would never let him live this down. Hermione looked over his shoulder, waving at someone. Draco turned as Harry approached them, giving the group a halfhearted wave. Ron disentangled himself from Pansy to make his way over to Harry, Pansy hot on his heels. With Pansy came Blaise, Draco, and Hermione. It seemed they were never far from each other these days. Draco wondered, briefly, if he should be concerned about that. Then Harry was trying to smile and Draco couldn't find the will to care.

 

"The good news is I'm definitely the chosen one." Harry said, voice still rough. Hermione looked at him expectantly, but he didn't elaborate. "What?"

 

"What's the bad news?" Hermione asked, arms crossed over her chest.

 

"I'm the chosen one. I thought I already said that?" Harry said. Hermione sighed, as if saying: do you see what I put up with? She cautiously pulled Harry into a hug, and he tensed before returning it hesitantly. She whispered something in his ear that Draco didn't quite catch; he nodded slightly before they separated. "We're having a funeral for Sirius at Grimmauld place this weekend. After that, I don't know." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You guys don't have to come."

 

"Mate, don't be dense." Ron said softly, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. Hermione's hand found Draco's, and he looked down briefly before squeezing it tightly.

 

-

 

It wasn't really a funeral, in all honesty. How could it be? Sirius was gone beyond the veil, the best they could do was honor his life. Narcissa greeted them when they emerged from the floo with a hesitant smile. She held her arms open and Draco walked into them. Before long she was pulling everyone else into the hug, chuckling when they protested.

 

"I've missed you." Narcissa bent down to whisper in his ear. Draco bit his lip, holding back tears. Sirius was gone, and Lucius had almost killed him again. The group followed Narcissa to the massive dining room where the Order of the Phoenix had already gathered. There were pictures of Sirius at one end of the long, polished table that were surrounded by candles and flowers. Draco took a seat at the far end of the table. Hermione took a spot on his right while Narcissa sat to his left. He frowned while smoothing out the wrinkles in his robes. Harry milled about the room, giving everyone a chance to offer their condolences. Harry had bags under his eyes, and he couldn't quite meet anyone's eye.

 

Draco honestly couldn't blame him. A few minutes later, Dumbledore stood by Sirius' pictures and tried to get everyone's attention. Harry quickly took a seat, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

"Let it never be said that Sirius didn't love his family." He began, more solemnly than usual. "He was a good man, fiercely devoted to his friends. I only regret I wasn't able to help him more. In the end, I suppose he passed doing what he did best," Dumbledore shot a meaningful gaze at Harry, who was looking carefully down at the table, "protecting the ones he loved." He said. "Would anyone like to say a few words?" He asked. Most everyone looked to Harry. Harry stood up hesitantly, trying in vain to smooth his wild hair before clearing his throat.

 

"Sirius always treated me like a son, I'll miss him." He said, looking like he was either going to vomit, panic, or pass out. Maybe all three at once. "I just hope he'd be proud of me." Harry finished before sitting down quickly. Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder, shooting him a sympathetic look. Remus said something unintelligible to Harry, who nodded stiffly. Draco looked under the table and cautiously rested his hand on top of Hermione's. Remus said a few words as well.

 

After that, everyone went back to chatting and sharing memories of Sirius. Draco had nothing to say, he barely knew the man. He excused himself a few minutes in, shaking his head slightly when Hermione shot him a curious look. He wandered out into the hallway and ran into Harry.

 

"Sorry," Harry said. His eyes were red and his cheeks were slightly puffy.

 

"It's alright." Draco said. "I need a break from it too. Walk with me?" He asked, inclining his head towards the stairs. It hadn't been so long ago that they'd been here celebrating Christmas. Sirius was vibrant, joyful, and so alive. Now he was dead. Draco wouldn't have believed if it he weren't there. Draco and Harry went up the stairs and out to a balcony on the second floor. It overlooked the back garden, which had been coaxed back into life by Narcissa's persistent attempts. "I know you're probably tired of hearing this," Draco said as he turned to face Harry. "I'm sorry."

 

"Thanks." Harry said softly, only meeting Draco's eye for a moment. "You know, I asked Nick if Sirius could come back as a ghost. He said Sirius wouldn't, and I felt so stupid for asking. It's just…" He trailed off, looking into the garden below. "I don't know."

 

"I'm here for you, we're all here for you." Draco said. Harry nodded in reply, wiping at his glassy eyes. Draco didn't know how long they stood there in silence, and he didn't care.

 

-

 

"Darling, I feel like I've barely had a chance to see you." Narcissa chastised him later on. Most everyone was gone, only a few from their group remained. The Order of the Phoenix had parted ways about an hour ago. Draco, Pansy, and Blaise helped with the cleanup while Harry, Ron, and Hermione set up the guest room. They figured they could head back to Hogwarts in the morning. Draco found himself with Narcissa in the kitchen, leaning against a counter as she brewed tea. "I heard Lucius was at the Ministry."

 

"Indeed," Draco said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Narcissa got out two mugs for them; she set them down on the counter before crossing the kitchen to her son.

 

"I can't imagine that was easy." She murmured. Draco nodded, welcoming her when she embraced him. "When I heard what happened, I was so worried. I thought I'd let you down again, by not protecting you from him."

 

"You never let me down." Draco said, his words muffled by her robes. He pulled away from her slightly, almost shocked to see her wipe away a tear.

 

"I thought you were a better liar than that." Narcissa said, managing a small grin.

 

"Mother, it wasn't your fault." Draco said, knowing he couldn't convince her. She shook her head, but before she could speak the teakettle was boiling. Narcissa poured out the water and put the teabags in to steep. She turned her back to him as she did this, not letting him see her grief.

 

"Draco, darling, I'm so proud of you." She said. Draco swallowed past the lump in his throat. She handed him his tea wordlessly.

 

"I," he started and stopped. He didn't know what to say. He loved her, would always be grateful she came with him. Narcissa shook her head, a small smile on her lips. She already knew. There was no need, then, to repeat it.

 

-

 

"You're really brave, you know?" Hermione said. They'd arrived at Hogwarts earlier that morning, and were sitting out on the lawn together, alone. Pansy made many excuses, giving him knowing looks all the while. One of these days they were going to have a serious talk.

 

"Brave?" He said, scoffing at the notion. "You must be mistaking me for someone else."

 

"I mean it." She said, punching his shoulder lightly. "You could've panicked at the Ministry or run away, but you didn't. Nobody would've blamed you." Hermione said. Draco shook his head, turning away to hide the smile on his lips. "For the record," she said, turning his face towards hers with one hand, "I'm glad you stayed."

 

"You know me, I'm a helper." Draco said, deadpan. Hermione rolled her eyes before leaning in to kiss him lightly.

 

"Shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is a little short, the last two chapters are gonna be a bit longer i think


	18. Summer Begins

It happened early in the morning. Draco was sleeping peacefully when awoken by someone knocking insistently on the door. Blaise was up in a flash, shocked when he saw Snape on the other side of the door.

 

"Good morning." Snape said. "Please come with me to the headmaster's office." He said. At that, Draco shot out of bed, standing behind Blaise.

 

"Why?" He asked. Snape didn't reply, only shook his head slightly.

 

"Can Draco come?"  


"I suppose that's up to you." Snape said before turning on his heel, robes billowing as he led the way down to the common room. Pansy was there, and she raised a brow at their appearance. They clumped together tightly, following Snape to Dumbledore's office. As they went up the stairs, a sense of dread built in Draco. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Pansy and Blaise's families standing in front of Dumbledore's desk.

 

"What's going on?" Pansy asked, eyes flickering from Dumbledore's grim expression to her parents, who didn't even meet her eye.

 

"We know what you did at the Ministry." Pansy's dad said, breaking the silence. "You lied to us this whole year, you've thrown in your lot with those Gryffindor idiots." His voice was measured, even, his face flat and barely concealing rage. "We can't have blood traitors like you sully our family name." He said. Draco tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, clutching Blaise's shirt. The two of them had gone pale at the announcement. "I, Percival Parkinson and my wife Cassandra, relinquish all ties to Pansy Parkinson. From this moment on, she is no longer of our blood. So witnessed, so done."

 

"So witnessed, so done." Cassandra echoed. Pansy's eyes were fast filling with tears, her lip trembled stubbornly, but she refused to break down. With a stiff nod, her former parents left through the floo.

 

"I, Alexander Zabini and my wife Rose, relinquish all ties to Blaise Zabini. From this moment on, he is no longer of our blood. So witnessed, so done." He recited the old phrase, eyes impassively cold.

 

"So witnessed, so done." Rose repeated, sealing the ritual. Draco knew all too well the pain of this, and his hands found those of his friends; he held on tight, trying to offer them an anchor. Blaise held his head up proudly, though his expression was blank. "Good day," Rose said to Dumbledore as they too departed through the floo. Once they were gone, Pansy crumpled, turning to Blaise. He held her, and Draco could only pat her back ineffectually.

 

"I'm so sorry." He murmured.

 

"Where will we go?" She said through her tears, voice muffled by Blaise's shirt. "We have no home, and the train leaves this afternoon."

 

"You can come with me." Draco offered. "I'm sure mother won't mind. You're practically family at this point anyways."

 

"Thanks." Blaise said.

 

"If there's nothing else," Draco turned to Dumbledore. "We'll be taking our leave."

 

"Of course." Dumbledore said. "I am sorry, I did try to reason with them."

 

"It's not your fault, headmaster." Blaise said quietly. "This burden is ours to bear, we face the consequence of our actions."

 

"In any case, you have my sympathies." He said, smiling at them kindly. Draco led his friends out of the office and back to the dungeons. They said nothing; there was nothing to be said at this point. He couldn't change anything, all he could do was help them cope.

 

"Look at the bright side," said Draco. "Now you don't have to take the mark."

 

"It is a small comfort." Pansy admitted, wiping at her eyes. Her crying had subsided long ago, now her cheeks were puffy with the remnants of grief. Blaise put his arm around her shoulder as they walked. They parted once they got to the common room, each going to their respective dorms.

 

"I can't say I wasn't expecting this." Blaise said quietly when they were both settled in bed again. "It still hurts."

 

"Yes," Draco said. "It always does. Grief is funny that way."

 

-

 

They packed their things with grim faces and met their Gryffindor friends on the platform. They wisely didn't ask what had them so blue as they found a compartment to sit in. Once everyone's luggage was stored in the overhead bin, they took their seats inside. Draco chose to be next to the window, with Hermione to his left. Ron and Pansy were curled up together next to them. It was a tight squeeze, but they made it work. Blaise and Harry sat across from them, engaged in a quiet yet seemingly intense conversation.

 

"Did something happen this morning?" Hermione asked him. Draco sighed, fiddling with a loose thread on his shirt. He was stalling for time, he had no idea how to answer.

 

"Yes." He said finally. Hermione looked at him impatiently, motioning for him to continue. "Pansy and Blaise were disowned, their parents were among the Death Eaters at the Ministry." He whispered to her, their heads bent together in close conversation. She gasped lightly at the news. "They have no family, no history, nowhere to turn to."

 

"Don't they have other relatives?"

 

"How likely is it, do you think, that their relatives are not pureblood supremacists as well?" Draco said. Hermione nodded slightly, sighing.

 

"That's awful, I can barely imagine doing that to a child." She said, her fists clenched. "Where will they go?"

 

"With me and mother; I offered after it happened this morning." Draco said.

 

"At least they have you." Hermione said, hesitantly placing a hand over his. He smiled slightly, and she returned the gesture.

 

"They're family, I won't abandon them."

 

"You're just a big sap," Hermione teased him, trying to get a smile out of him. Draco rolled his eyes.

 

"Oh no, my secret is out." Draco said, deadpan.

 

"What secret? Is this about that time with the mermaids?" Pansy popped her head up, shooting him a suspicious look.

 

"That was one time!" He said, cutting her off before she could reveal anything else. Hermione raised a brow, looking at him expectantly. "That story will never see the light of day." Draco said, nodding solemnly. Blaise cracked the first smile he'd had since this morning, and even Pansy looked vaguely amused. Draco would take what he could get at this point.

 

-

 

Narcissa stood with the Weasleys to greet them. Hermione's parents were there too, though standing slightly apart and looking very uncomfortable all the while. As soon as they got off the train, Molly Weasley was rushing over to them; she looked more than ready to fuss over her children. Narcissa approached more sedately, a small smile on her lips. Blaise and Pansy's former families were nowhere to be seen, unsurprisingly. She opened her arms slightly but let Draco walk into them. It was his choice, in the end, and he was grateful for that. Blaise and Pansy stood awkwardly by the side, trying not to look out of place.

 

Narcissa pulled away from him and motioned to Blaise and Pansy. They went to her a bit reluctantly, probably not wanting to explain what happened earlier. She didn't ask any questions, only gave them a sympathetic look. Oh, Draco realized as Pansy barely managed a smile, she didn't want to embarrass them. Surely, Narcissa noted their former families' absence. Even if she didn't know exactly what happened, she wouldn't cause a scene.

 

"Mother," Draco said. "Can they stay with us for the summer?"

 

"Of course." Narcissa said, nodding. "I have a surprise for all of you, at any rate." She said, mischievous grin back in place. When she got that look, Draco could only describe it as her scheming face. He was caught between curiosity and dreading whatever Narcissa had in store. She turned to Molly, who was scolding Ron for something; knowing Ron, it was probably his exam grades. "We'll meet you back at The Burrow, yes?"

 

"We'll see you there." Molly said, flashing them a wide smile. Ron was complaining about something while Ginny rolled her eyes. Fred and George were laughing, which was never a good sign, while Harry stood there quietly. At least he didn't look like a zombie today, and that was surely an accomplishment. Hermione was talking to her parents, and Draco wondered if it was okay to approach her. After all, they weren't in private anymore; plus her parents were standing only a small distance away.

 

She looked at him over her shoulder. Hermione said something quickly to her parents before turning and making her way to him. She stopped short a few feet in front of him, opening her mouth before closing it once again. It was as if everything had gone back to how it was last summer: awkward, cold, and more than a little strange.

 

"I hope you have a good summer." Hermione said finally. "I'll see you at The Burrow, right?"

 

"Indeed you will." Draco said in return, folding his arms behind his back. She nodded in reply but didn't say anything. "You should get back to your parents." He said gently, not meeting her eye. Hermione bit her lip, nodding in reply once again. She started to turn around, stopping halfway through the motion.

 

"Write to me, okay? I'll miss you." Hermione said. Draco blinked owlishly, before nodding. Her face lit up all at once, and Draco was stunned for a brief moment before regaining his composure.

 

"And I you." He said finally. Hermione smiled at him before making her way back to her parents. Draco stiffened when he felt a hand on his back.

 

"Have a good summer, Draco." Ron said. Draco relaxed slowly upon realizing who it was.

 

"You too." He said. Harry stood next to Ron, trying to put on a brave face. Draco knew better, but he didn't say anything about it. "Write to me, both of you. Harry, I want you to know I'm here if you need anything." He said, meeting Harry's eye briefly.

 

"Okay." Harry said, his voice a low rasp. Draco bit his lip to keep himself from spilling his guts, nodding instead. Soon enough Molly was shepherding them through the station, their group walking in a tight cluster. Ron and Pansy were walking arm in arm, being obnoxious as usual. Harry stuck close to Molly while the Slytherins all stuck together. They were a patchwork of problems and odd friendships, yet Draco knew he wouldn't have it any other way. Once they made it off the platform and back into the muggle train station, they went their separate ways. It was bittersweet, and Draco could tell Pansy struggled not to cry. She'd already been through so much that morning, so he couldn't blame her.

 

Eventually they managed to part ways with promises to stay in touch. Narcissa led them to a secluded area where they wouldn't be seen before extending her hands. Draco took her left hand while Pansy took her right; Blaise held Draco's hand in a tight grip. Narcissa apparated them away from the train station in a flash. Draco hated apparating, hated how his stomach seemed to do acrobatics every single time. It was over in a moment, and they were standing in a field. In front of them was a small house with a short chimney. It could more accurately be described as a cottage with a door painted green and garden boxes on the windowsills. It was, in a word, cute.

 

Pansy squealed in delight as she took off through the field. Draco let go of Narcissa's hand, looking at her with wide eyes.

 

"How?" He asked. Blaise let go of his hand, following Pansy to the cottage.

 

"I wanted to tell you sooner, but I thought you'd enjoy the surprise. I finally found work tending a greenhouse, and money from the Black family vaults certainly helped." Narcissa said. Draco hummed in reply. Narcissa led them to the cottage, an old brass key in hand. Pansy was peering in windows, her luggage trolley forgotten by the door. Blaise leaned against the stone walls, rolling his eyes at Pansy's antics. Narcissa unlocked the door, ushering them in. Pansy was first, and she left her luggage by the door before going off to explore. It was small, but cozy.

 

There was a kitchen on their right with a small dining table situated in the middle. A living room sat directly left of the kitchen, filled with plush couches and bookshelves. There was even a small piano sitting in the corner under a window. There were doors on the back wall, which he assumed led to bedrooms and bathrooms. Pansy opened a door on the far left, leaving everyone else standing in the entryway.

 

"I'm claiming this one." She called from the room, her voice echoing through the cottage. Narcissa laughed, clearly pleased with herself. Blaise wandered through the living room, making his way to the back of the cottage. He opened the second door on the right, disappearing into it.

 

"How many rooms?" Draco asked.

 

"Four in total, three bedrooms with one master bedroom. There are two bathrooms, one in the master and one by the kitchen." She said, gesturing to a door on their right. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go on." Narcissa said, making a shooing motion at him. Draco chuckled, pulling his luggage trolley across wood floors to the door on the far right. He opened it hesitantly, hardly daring to believe this was theirs. After everything they'd been through, all they lost, the cottage was a pipe dream.

 

His room was carpeted, and he slid off his shoes immediately. A wide window was on the far wall, in front of it a small twin bed. A thin but tall bookshelf was against the wall immediately opposite the bed, already lined with books. Next to the bookshelf was a closet. Draco went to the closet, opening the slightly squeaky doors; the inside was empty, so he put his luggage in there for now. It could wait to be sorted later, he thought. To his right was a dark wood desk with an oil lamp on it and a small container of quills and ink. Draco walked to his bed, almost bumping into the nightstand sitting next to it.

 

He sat down on the bed, smoothing the covers with one hand. This was real, and it was all theirs. Draco had a room of his own, a place to truly call home once again. A year ago, he would've thought it impossible. So much had changed; so much had been lost, yet he didn't regret it. There came a knock on the door, pulling Draco out of his thoughts. Blaise entered a moment later.

 

"Narcissa's got tea in the kitchen if you like." He said. Draco got up, following Blaise to the kitchen. A teapot sat on a hot pad in the middle of a round table. There were teabags in a glass container sitting next to it, and sugar in a small ceramic bowl. Draco poured himself a cup of earl grey, waiting for it to steep as he sat with them at the table. Pansy sat across from him, Blaise to his right, and Narcissa to his left.

 

"What did happen?" Narcissa asked, breaking the silence. Pansy froze, setting her mug down. Blaise looked at the table, eyes refusing to meet Narcissa's. "If you don't wish to speak of it that's fine."

 

"No," Pansy said, shaking her head. "We owe you an explanation." She said before taking a deep breath, as if she was trying to steel herself for saying it aloud. "We were disowned this morning." She said, pausing. Pansy opened her mouth slightly and then closed it.

 

"They know we were at the Ministry, fighting against Death Eaters." Blaise said for her, shooting her a meaningful look. She flashed him a small smile, grateful for his intervention. Draco understood; it would always be difficult to speak of. "Thank you for taking us in."

 

"I wouldn't abandon any of you." Narcissa said softly, eyes meeting Blaise's briefly. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like; it's not like we're low on room around here." She said. Draco chuckled in reply before taking a sip of tea.

 

"Thank you." Pansy said as she stirred sugar into her tea. Narcissa smiled in reply, and Draco had to admit she looked incredibly pleased with herself. He tried to recall a time where she smiled half as much, and realized he couldn't within a few moments. The thought sobered him, reminded him of what they both escaped.

 

"Don't look so blue, darling." Narcissa said. Draco managed a small grin, much to her liking. They sat in relative silence, content to simply be in each other's company. Draco wasn't complaining, at any rate.

-

 

A letter from Hermione came two days later, to Draco's surprise. He expected her to wait a bit, get readjusted to the muggle world before writing to him. Her owl woke him up early in the morning, giving him the letter before flying off into the sunrise. Draco rubbed his eyes, opening the letter quickly. His eyes scanned the page, not surprised to see it was fairly standard. There were questions of how he was doing, where they were staying, and how Pansy and Blaise were faring.

 

He took the letter to his desk, taking out a piece of parchment to write a reply. Draco turned the oil lamp on high, hoping to help himself wake up. Slowly, he put his thoughts down on paper. He was fine, they were at their new cottage in the countryside, and Pansy and Blaise were better than expected. Draco filled her in on Narcissa's new job, and went on to ask her a few questions. He sealed the letter with a simple wax stamp, leaving his bedroom to find their family owl.

 

Magnus, their new owl, had a small structure in the garden out back. It was a sheltered perch with food and water provided, and he had plenty of room to fly about the garden and sit on tree branches. Draco gave him the letter, telling him where to go quietly. Magnus flew off a moment later, disappearing beyond the horizon in a matter of minutes. Draco watched him go before heading back inside. He crawled back into bed, pulling the covers over his head. He was glad Hermione thought of him, wrote to him so soon. Maybe Harry and Ron would soon follow, though he doubted it. Ron was notoriously bad at remembering to write, and Harry didn't seem to be in a talkative mood.

 

Well, Draco thought, at least Harry knew he was welcome to write if he wanted to. It was better than nothing, he figured. Time would tell if Harry recovered, but his friends could be there to support him; it was the least they could do. Draco drifted off into sleep, wondering what summer could possibly have in store for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh we're so close to being finished i'm super happy!! stay tuned for the last chapter y'all


	19. A New Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmm honestly this chapter should be titled "the power of friendship"

Two weeks into vacation, a solemn faced Narcissa ushered the three of them into the kitchen. She beckoned them to sit and the three of them obeyed.

 

"Mother, what's going on?" Draco asked, his heart pounding a mile a minute.

 

"I've been thinking of this for a while now, but I never knew how to put it." She said, looking at them all in turn. Well, if that was supposed to be reassuring it certainly wasn't. "You know of the familius spell, I take it?" Narcissa asked. Pansy's mouth dropped open in surprise while Blaise nodded, his eyebrows furrowed. "I would be honored if you two would join our family."

 

"Why ask us?" Blaise asked. He sat back, arms crossed. "I mean, I appreciate you taking us in, but at the end of the day we're not really your children."

 

"Not yet, anyways." Narcissa said, a bemused smile crossing her face. "In truth, I've been thinking of this since the Ministry incident. I knew your parents would find out your true allegiance, and that it'd be dangerous for you two to remain with your families." She paused, giving Pansy and Blaise a moment to take that in. "I understand if you refuse, but you two are Draco's best friends. You're practically family anyways; the decision is yours." Narcissa said. Pansy was slack jawed at this declaration, and simply sat and stared. Blaise looked torn, but slightly hopeful. Draco was shocked and delighted.

 

"That's very kind of you." Pansy said finally, voice barely above a whisper. She looked to Blaise, who nodded. "We accept." She said, managing a smile. Her eyes were slightly glassy, and Draco reached over to pat her shoulder. Pansy put her hand on top of his, and he let her.

 

"Very well," Narcissa said as she took her wand off the table. She pointed it at the three of them. "I, Narcissa Black, accept Blaise and Pansy into the Black family. They are of my blood, now and forever. So witnessed, so done." She recited the traditional phrasing, waiting for the others to repeat.

 

"So witnessed, so done." Draco said. Pansy and Blaise repeated it a moment later. With a slight wave of her wand, Narcissa muttered an incantation. A flash of warm light enveloped Pansy and Blaise for a moment before disappearing. Suddenly, the warm light returned around their wrists, binding them together and also to Narcissa and Draco. This, too, was gone in a moment. The group sat in silence for a few minutes. Draco was smiling, still a bit incredulous. He had two new siblings, for better or worse.

 

"It worked, right?" Blaise asked finally. Narcissa nodded in reply. "I don't feel any different."

 

"You're not supposed to, but now you'll officially show up on our family tree. Besides that, you'll have access to the vaults and other family properties." Narcissa said, clearly having done her research. Draco was both impressed and proud. "Other than that, most everything should stay the same."

 

"Thank you." Pansy said. Narcissa put her wand down and walked around the table. When she got to them she leaned over to put her arms around them. Draco returned the embrace with one arm. "We should celebrate."

 

"I know what you're thinking, and no." Blaise said immediately. Pansy shot him a reproachful look before shaking her head.

 

"Infant, please," she said with a dramatic roll of her eyes. "I think we should make a reservation for the fanciest restaurant available. I think we should show everyone that we're something to envy."

 

"Oh my dear, I like how you think." Narcissa said, a wicked smile on her face.

 

-

 

They arrived to an upscale Italian restaurant at just after seven in the evening. They were dressed to the nines, and Narcissa requested their reservation just loudly enough to pique the interest of passing people. Everything was going to plan; Draco barely fidgeted in his dress robes. Pansy smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress before stepping between Blaise and Draco, taking both their arms to head into the dining room. The waiter led them to a table in the middle of the room and pulled out chairs for them. They sat down as Narcissa coolly observed the room. They were the room's centerpiece, just how she wanted it.

 

"Well, I'm sure we'll be the hot gossip for at least the next few days." Narcissa said as she perused the menu.

 

"Oh no, at least the week." Pansy protested, as if the very thought of her not being the most desirable gossip was at least a little insulting. "We're going to blow their minds, I guarantee it." She said. A moment later, she smiled prettily at a waiter. He was a stuttering mess, probably not much older than them, if that. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Pansy shot him a look over the top of her glass and he simply shook his head in reply. He wondered if she'd written Ron yet. He thought Pansy would've talked his ear off it had already happened. Maybe he should write Ron, give him a piece of his mind.

 

"Pansy, stop flirting with the waiter." Blaise hissed under his breath after aforementioned waiter left with their menus in tow.

 

"Or what? You'll tell on me?"

 

"I will kill you." Blaise said, voice barely above a whisper. He and Pansy stared intensely at each other for a few moments before Pansy broke, giggling. Blaise's face was still neutral when he picked up his butter knife, making a stabbing motion at her. Well, that just sent Pansy into a whole new fit of giggles. Blaise cracked a moment later, face lighting up with a smile. Draco looked on, vaguely amused. These were the people they'd chosen to be in their family, he reminded himself almost reproachfully.

 

"You like me too much." Pansy finally said when Blaise put down the butter knife.

 

"Don't count on that too much." Blaise said, winking at her. Pansy opened her mouth to reply, but the waiter appeared at that moment with drinks. Pansy took hers with a smile, while Blaise barely suppressed a glare. "Seriously, what is up with that?"

 

"Nothing," Pansy snapped. Blaise raised a brow at this; Draco leaned forward in his seat, suddenly interested. She tucked a short strand of hair behind her ear. "It's nothing, really." She said again, quieter that time.

 

"Sure," Blaise said with a shake of his head. He wasn't buying it, and neither was Draco. Pansy took a sip of water before leaning forward, resting her chin on her hands.

 

"I don't know, it's stupid." She said quietly. Draco motioned for her to continue. "I just want to feel like, after all that's happened, maybe I'd still be wanted." Pansy said, not quite meeting Draco's eyes. Narcissa made a soft sound, frowning at Pansy's admittance. Nobody had any doubts as to what she was alluding to. Blaise reached over to put a hand on her shoulder. "He's not even that cute, really." She said a few minutes later, breaking the silence. Draco snorted, and Blaise only sighed. The waiter was back with their food, and Pansy only gave him a cursory glance before digging in to her lasagna.

 

"You should write Ron." Draco suggested gently while he twirled noodles onto his fork. Pansy nodded in reply. They got through the dinner with minimal scandal, though if the buzzing whispers surrounding them were any indicator, they'd made a definite impression. When it came time to leave, they filed out of the restaurant. Pansy flashed smiles at people, while Draco kept his face carefully blank. He was used to playing happy family, though this time, he supposed, it wasn't an act. The waiter Pansy was flirting with earlier stopped her on the way out, saying something about meeting up sometime. Pansy paused, grimacing.

 

"Wow, I'm super flattered but…" She trailed off, looking to Blaise and Draco for help. Blaise only smirked, as if to say she dug her own grave. Draco stood with Blaise, knowing he'd be getting an earful for it later. "I'm just so terribly busy."

 

"Oh," he said, his face falling. "Maybe when you're not busy?"

 

"I think not." Pansy said before giving him a consoling pat on the shoulder. With that, she spun on her heel and followed everyone else out of the restaurant. Only when they got outside did Draco crack up. Narcissa chuckled, a small smile on her face.

 

"That's what you get." Blaise said, sounding entirely too smug. Pansy glared at him, hitting him on the arm.

 

"Don't think you two are getting out of it." She said, sending an accusatory look at Draco. Draco only put his hands up in mock surrender, still laughing slightly. Narcissa stuck out her hands, clearly wanting to get gone before they started another scandal, and they took them. She apparated them back to the cottage. It was at that moment, when they appeared in front of their home, that Pansy took her hand from Narcissa's and elbowed Blaise in the ribs. Blaise hit her arm away, rolling his eyes. "You're the worst."

 

"I know." Blaise said before following Narcissa into the house. Draco dodged Pansy's elbow, much to her dissatisfaction. They went to their separate rooms, thankfully avoiding another incident. Once Draco fell into bed, he was asleep quickly.

 

-

 

July had only just begun, and they were headed to the Burrow. After last week's stunt, they were indeed hot gossip. The Black family name was being talked about, and not for something horrifying, for once. Draco figured Bellatrix was to blame for that. Draco checked his luggage one last time, making sure he had everything he needed. It was almost like last year, he reflected bitterly. He remembered the day he packed his things, certain he'd end up on the streets by day's end.

 

This was different, he tried to convince himself; Draco's hands shook as he secured the latches on his suitcase. This time, they were going to the Burrow willingly. Still, his mind couldn't seem to reconcile that fact. Someone was calling his name, but it was as though it was far away. Like Draco was in the ocean, and someone was screaming for him on the shore. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, whipping around to see who it was. He calmed slightly when he saw Pansy. She dropped the hand from Draco's shoulder, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

 

"You okay?"

 

"Yes," he insisted immediately. When Pansy raised a brow, he sighed. "I don't know."

 

"What's up?" She asked as she plopped into his desk chair. "You know you can talk to me, brother mine." Pansy said. Draco's lips twitched at the endearment. Since she'd formally become his sister, Pansy took every opportunity to tease him about it. _Oh come on, I'm just fulfilling my obligatory sibling duties._ She said when Draco confronted her. To this, Draco had to concede the point.

 

"It reminds me of last year, the packing. I know later we'll use the floo to go to the Burrow, and it'll feel like last year. I know it's different, but I keep thinking of that day." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. Pansy only stared at him, eyes wide. Draco looked away from her, wringing his hands. This was a happy day for her, she'd get to see Ron and their friends again; why did he ruin it by telling her his troubles? "I'm sorry, I'll get over it."

 

"Draco," she said sharply. Draco looked at her suddenly. She was scowling at him with a furrowed brow. A feeling of dread permeated his stomach at her look. Pansy was probably angry with him; he knew he should've kept his mouth shut. How could he ruin it for her? He was being selfish. "That was the day Lucius disowned you, and then tried to kill you, correct?" Pansy said. Draco nodded slightly. "Who could blame you for being a bit upset? This time last year your whole world was turned upside down." She said as she got up from the desk chair to join him on the floor. Draco was stunned as she sat cross-legged in front of him. "It's okay, you know that right?"

 

"I know," he said, wanting to pull his hair out in frustration. "I know that logically, but I'm having trouble convincing myself." Draco said, clasping his hands in front of him in an attempt to keep them from trembling. He was so sick of this, this nervousness that always plagued him. He was safe, he had friends and a family and a home to call his own. Draco knew he had no right to feel this way, yet he couldn’t help it.

 

"You'll get through it, just like you always do." Pansy said softly. Draco nodded, not quite believing it. "Let's go, get this over with." She said, standing up. Pansy offered him a hand, and he took it gratefully. He got his luggage together and put it on a trolley leaning against the wall. Draco and Pansy went into the living room together, his hand clenched tight around the trolley's handle. Narcissa and Blaise were waiting, Narcissa with a tin of floo powder while Blaise stood next to his trolley.

 

"Who wants to go first?" Narcissa said. Pansy pointed to Draco wordlessly, and he was too nervous to think of a retort. Narcissa handed the tin of floo powder to him. Draco took it after a moment, walking stiffly over to the fireplace. His heart was pounding, palms sweating as he took out a handful of powder.

 

"The Burrow," he said as he threw the handful in. He put the canister of powder on the mantle before stepping into the fireplace with his luggage in tow. Draco closed his eyes, willed his heart to stop pounding as his stomach did acrobatics. It was just like apparating, and his anxiety only made it worse. When it stopped, he opened his eyes hesitantly. He was in the Weasley's living room once more, and they were there to greet him. It was like last year all over again, when he popped into the living room to the shock of everyone.

 

"Welcome," Molly said, ushering him into the living room. The soft smile on her face, her hand on his arm pulled him out of his thoughts. It was similar, but different. Draco was here because he was wanted, not because he was disowned. He repeated this thought over and over in his mind, trying to calm down through sheer brute force. "Hermione will be here this evening, Harry got here early this morning." She said. Draco nodded, putting his hands in his pockets so nobody would know they were clammy. He started when Ron clapped him on the back.

 

"Sorry, mate, didn't mean to startle you." Ron said, apologizing with a sheepish smile.

 

"I know," Draco said, forcing himself to meet Ron's eyes.

 

"It's good to have you back." He said. Draco paused a moment, still wavering between nervousness and gratitude.

 

"It's good to be back." He said after a few moments. Ron flashed him a smile, opening his mouth to say something before a distinctive whoosh in the fireplace signaled an arrival. Ron craned his head to look at their newest arrival, smiling even wider when Pansy stepped into the living room. Without hesitating, he ran to Pansy. Pansy laughed when Ron practically pounced on her, drawing her into his arms for a tight hug. She protested faintly, and Draco only rolled his eyes. Harry got up from the couch, making his way to Draco.

 

"Hey," he said softly. Draco looked over to him, frowning when he saw dark smudges beneath Harry's eyes.

 

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Draco asked, knowing he couldn't be having an easy time of it. Harry only shrugged, so Draco took it in stride and decided not to push him. If Harry wanted to talk, he'd do it on his own terms. They'd only exchanged one letter in the four weeks since break started, but Draco would take it. Maybe being around the often boisterous Weasley family would bring him out of his shell. All Draco could do was hope, he supposed. A minute later, Blaise came in. After him, Narcissa made her arrival. She went to Molly immediately, hugging her fiercely. Their friendship would never cease to surprise him. Then again, he figured his friendship with the Golden Trio was a surprise as well.

 

"Alright," Molly said. "We've widened the attic room a bit and put in some more beds. I can show you there now so you can get settled in." She said brightly, motioning to the stairs. The four of them followed her up the rickety stairs to the top room. Molly opened the door, leading them into the room. "I'll leave you to it, lunch will be ready soon." With that, she made her way back out of the room and down the stairs. Their room was indeed bigger than last year, and across from Narcissa and Draco's beds were two more twin beds to mirror theirs. Pansy claimed one by the window, and Draco got the one across from it.

 

"It's nicer than last year." Draco commented as he unloaded his luggage from the trolley.

 

"Well, they were expecting guests this year." Narcissa said as she followed suit. "No layers of dust, that's for sure." She said, and Draco chuckled in reply. The four of them finished unpacking in relative silence before heading downstairs. Once they got to the living room, Molly was calling everyone to lunch. Pansy took Ron's arm before heading into the kitchen. Blaise caught Draco's eye, shaking his head slightly. Draco bit his lip to keep from laughing.

 

"Alright, help yourself." Molly said when they got to the dining room. There were a few more chairs added in preparation for visitors. Draco took one at the far side of the table, with Pansy to his right and Blaise to his left. Narcissa sat across from them and down a few seats, head bent close to Molly's in quiet conversation. Ron was next to Pansy, and the look on his face was disgustingly sappy. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes, still a bit wary of incurring Pansy's wrath.

 

He started filling his plate, listening to the soft conversation filling the room. Blaise sat in silence next to him; Harry was barely picking at his food. Draco frowned at this, yet he didn't know how to fix it. He couldn't fix Harry, that was the thing, but he hated how helpless he felt. He nudged Blaise with his elbow, inclining his head in Harry's direction. Blaise caught Draco's eye briefly, expression mirroring his. That was something to be worked on sooner rather than later, he decided.

 

-

 

That evening, they gathered in the living room. Draco sat on the piano bench, plucking away aimlessly at the black and white keys. It was something he missed, simply sitting and playing. Arthur was in an armchair nearby, nodding his approval. Every once in a while he would comment on something he liked, or suggest a piece. A small rush of pride went through Draco at his praise, so different from Lucius' constant criticism. His fingers paused above the keys at the thought of his ex-father, remembering the Ministry. Lucius would've killed him, and if it hadn't been for Hermione, well, he shuddered to think of what would've happened.

 

Just at the thought of Lucius, Draco's hands were trembling once more. He scowled at them, trying to will them to be still. Cautiously, he began to play once more. If he tripped over a measure or two, Arthur said nothing. He settled in gradually, trying to focus on the sheet music in front of him instead of Lucius. A whooshing sound captured his attention, and he looked to the fireplace expectantly. Hermione appeared in the fireplace not a moment later, luggage in hand. Draco got up from the bench, making his way over to the fireplace.

 

Ron beat him to the punch, smiling as he hugged Hermione. Harry was there too, greeting her with a small smile. Draco stood to the side a bit awkwardly, not knowing what to do. It wasn't like they were dating, but he did care about her. Hermione looked over to him, grinning broadly before crossing the distance between them. Well, Draco thought, that was one way to do things. She pulled him into a hug, and he cautiously returned it. After a minute or so, Hermione stepped back.

 

"Hey," she said.

 

"Hey," Draco said. They stood in silence, neither one knowing what to say. "It's good to have you here." Draco said finally. Hermione shot him another smile, leaving Draco wondering just how on earth they'd gotten to this point.

 

"I'm glad to be back." Hermione said. Pansy interrupted them when she hugged Hermione; apparently she'd grown tired of their awkwardness. Draco rolled his eyes at her antics, ignoring Pansy when she stuck her tongue out at him. Molly called them to dinner shortly afterwards, and Draco found his place at the table once more. Different from that afternoon, Hermione sat across from him. The dining room was abuzz with conversation. Ginny laughed at one of Fred's jokes. Draco realized it felt right, to be with the Weasley family and his friends. It was a strange realization, but Draco didn't particularly care.

 

Hermione was talking with Harry quietly. He let her be, figuring they could talk later. He went back to his meal, knowing it was only a matter of time.

 

-

 

Early the next morning, Draco woke up suddenly. His heart was pounding, breath coming in short gasps. He could barely remember the dream, but he was terrified anyways. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Draco got out of bed, making his way out of the room and down the rickety stairs. He needed to do something, anything to get his mind away from the dream. Draco found himself on the front porch, breathing in the crisp morning air. The sun was over the horizon just barely; Draco was alone with only the silent morning to keep him company. He didn't mind that so much.

 

Draco sat down on the porch, legs hanging off the edge. The wood creaked beneath him as he swung his legs back and forth. The fear had worn off, and he was left with a quiet almost calm. It was only a dream, he told himself. He sat there a long time, watching the sunrise. After a while, he went back into the house. Wandering through the house, Draco was unsurprised when his feet took him to the living room. It was probably too early for piano, he could wake someone up. Instead, Draco curled up in an armchair with a book.

 

It was something left on a coffee table; he didn't particularly care what it was about. He opened it and started reading, forcing himself to focus on the pages in front of him. It wasn't the most exciting book in the world, but it kept Draco's mind off other things. Someone clearing their throat behind him startled him, and he closed the book immediately. Draco looked behind him, surprised to see Hermione standing there.

 

"You're an early riser too?" She asked before taking a seat in the chair across from him. He nodded in reply. "Molly is getting stuff ready for breakfast." Hermione said. Draco nodded once more as he put the book down on a table beside him.

 

"I need to ask you something." Draco said suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. Hermione raised a brow at this, motioning for him to continue. Draco cleared his throat before continuing. "We never settled things between us, but I do care about you." The words came out haltingly, but Hermione didn't interrupt him. "I just want to know if you want something more than friendship."

 

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" She said, a faintly bemused smile flitting across her face. Draco pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.

 

"Only if you want to be." He said. When Hermione didn't reply, he felt his cheeks go red from embarrassment. Of course she didn't want him, not after Draco taunted her for years. Why should a kiss change anything? "I'm not holding you to anything."

 

"I never said no." Hermione said. Draco met her eyes, staring at her expectantly. She bit her lip, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "We'll never know until we try, right? I accept." Hermione said. Draco got up from the chair, taking a few steps until he was in front of her. She craned her head up to look at him. He leaned down slowly, giving her every opportunity to turn away. Hermione only closed her eyes when Draco pressed his lips to hers softly. It was hesitant, a question more than anything. He pulled away soon after, resting his forehead against hers.

 

"If someone told me a year ago I'd be dating Hermione Granger, I would've laughed." Draco murmured. Hermione chuckled before pressing her lips to his again. It was tender, slow, and careful. It felt like a hello, like a welcoming greeting.

 

"To be fair, I would've done the same." Hermione said after she leaned back. "It's funny to think about, how we came to be friends after being enemies for so many years."

 

"I'm grateful for it." Draco said. Hermione didn't say anything, but Draco was content with silence. The whole thing between them felt a bit surreal. Draco was excited and scared at the same time, not knowing what the future held. Like Hermione said, they wouldn't know until they tried. It was both comforting and terrifying.

 

"Come on, let's go help Molly." Hermione said. Draco stood up straight and stepped back, letting Hermione walk around him. He followed her with a smile, his hand in hers.

 

-

 

A day later found Draco on the porch alone. It was late in the evening, most everyone was inside. Draco still found crowds stifling, and though he enjoyed the Weasley's company, they were simply too loud for him. There was something to be said for knowing how to be alone, he thought. Fireflies buzzed through the air, and he watched them make lazy patterns in the sky. He looked behind him when the door opened and Harry emerged from the house. Harry joined him on the wicker couch, making himself comfortable on one of the cushions.

 

"Hey," Draco said quietly.

 

"Hey," Harry said. Draco met Harry's eyes briefly before Harry turned to look at the fireflies.

 

"What's up?" Draco asked. The fact that Harry had come to him instead of Draco having to track him down was heartening.

 

"I thought I'd get to spend the summer with Sirius." He said. Draco stiffened at that. "He's dead, and it's my fault." Harry said, wringing his hands.

 

"No, it's Bellatrix's fault." Draco said. Harry looked at him, eyes tired and empty. "I know you want to blame yourself, but I want you to know that Bellatrix was the one who pushed him through the veil."

 

"He wouldn't have been there if I hadn't fallen into Voldemort's trap." Harry insisted, eyes suddenly intense. Harry clenched his fists; Draco thought he must've rehashed what happened with a few people already.

 

"You didn't kill him." Draco said, every bit as frustrated as Harry. He knew what it was like to blame himself, what it was like to dread the future. "Listen, I've been through some shit too. It's not easy to forgive yourself, but can you please try?" He said. Harry looked stunned at that, as if the thought hadn't occurred to him. Draco didn't know whether to cry or feel smug.

 

"I didn't think…" Harry trailed off. "I’m sorry."

 

"Don't be." Draco said, shaking his head. "You have nothing to apologize for."

 

"We'll have to agree to disagree on that." Harry said. Draco nodded in agreement, not wanting to argue more. Harry was, against all odds, his friend.

 

"Just try to cut yourself some slack." Draco suggested gently. Harry nodded haltingly at that, and went back to watching the fireflies. They sat in a silence that was marginally more comfortable than before. At least Harry knew he could confide in Draco, in any of his friends. Whether he would do so, whether he would forgive himself was something that'd be revealed in time.

 

"It's not over," Harry said suddenly. Draco turned to face him, a grim realization in the pit of his stomach. "You know that, right?"

 

"I know." Draco said. Harry looked at him, catching his eye. "It's only beginning." He said. Harry nodded slowly, regarding Draco thoughtfully. Draco looked back at the sky, at the fireflies buzzing about the field. Everything seemed so simple as night descended upon them. It was another lazy summer evening, yet Draco knew there was a storm brewing on the horizon. It wasn't over, but Draco and his friends would face it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> annnddd that's a wrap everyone i seriously can't believe we're done???
> 
> stay tuned for earlier chapters to be rewritten (at some point, once i finish the infamous second son fic)
> 
> thanks for reading!!! i know i'm bad at responding to comments but every time someone comments a year is added to my life


End file.
